Hollywood Kids: Children of LA Land
by SoaneLucy13
Summary: Edward and Bella are young, famous and have a troubled past. Will they get past all their fears and demons to have a happy life together?
1. We're Not Stupid, We're Just Kids

**Hollywood Kids : Children of L.A. Land  
**Chapter 1: We're not stupid, we're just kids

_This is a story about life. About learning who you are. Making choices. One thing: everybody makes mistakes. Just not everyone gets to see those. What if the entire world sees yours?_

_They're young and famous, troubled and pained. Edward Cullen and Bella Swan try to find their place and peace in the cruel fairy tale called Hollywood._

**I've been working on this story for ages and have now finally gotten around to post it. I know I've been very slow with my other stories, and believe me, I want to get them on any minute, but life has been pretty damn hard on me lately. I will NOT drop any of my stories and I'm busy working on them.**

**This first chapter is an introduction to the main characters. The story will be mainly about Bella and Edward, but will feature Rosalie, Alice, Jasper and Emmett, too.**

**Thanks so much to my beta With The What Now.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. **

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**Bella Swan, actress/daughter of**

My name is Bella Swan. Isabella Marie Swan.

Most people - who go to the movies, read magazines and watch TV – probably know me as Charlie Swan's oldest daughter.

My dad is a world famous actor.

Even though he's passed the forty mark by now, girls and women are still drooling all over him.

My mom, Renee, was an event organizer for events and charities.

They met when my mom had to get the hottest actor of Hollywood to promote a charity convention her company had set up.

That actor was Charles William Swan, a.k.a. Charlie Swan, _a.k.a._ my very embarrassing dad.

Soon a close bond and relationship started.

My mom was a real living-in-the-moment person, and before she knew she was pregnant of him.

Although he had a busy schedule, he made time for his wife and together they bought a house in Silver Lake, LA together.

Their happy family bubble lasted five years. Their relationship was just doomed to go wrong.

Charlie being a hot and wanted actor, traveling around the world and having just as sexy and hot female co-stars. Hardly being at home. He kept taking on new projects, projects he just couldn't drop or neglect.

My mom was the one who had to take care of my younger sister and me. She had to work at home. When she mentioned hiring a nanny, my dad freaked out.

It's not that they didn't love each other – no, my mom is my dad's big love - but under the certain circumstances it just didn't work out.

Maybe they weren't meant to be, meant to last.

It was my sister's fourth birthday, when my mom snapped.

Charlie was shooting a movie in Connecticut that summer, but had assured us all he would make it to Maya's birthday party. Before he had left he had told her how he would dress up as a pirate or a clown or whatever she wanted, and would entertain the kids. Her smile couldn't have been bigger.

Day after day my Mom told him to not forget it.

He had said he would come one day before her actual birthday, so that he could be there in the morning of her fourth birthday.

It could have been expected.

The morning of her fourth birthday, he called to apologize. He couldn't make it. They were already running out of time, and he couldn't squeeze out.

Maya was devastated and didn't talk or eat for days.

When my dad did come home, Renee told him she was leaving him and taking us with her.

Together with my mom and sister, I moved up north to San Francisco, Renee's native town.

Maya and I still had contact with Charlie, and he took us out for award shows and festivals, like our annual trip to Park City for Sundance.

I even landed the role of his daughter in the popular TV-series _Chief Burke_.

My life seemed perfect.

Until…that one, terrible day. The day my mom got chased down by paparazzi, the day Maya and I were in snowy, cold Utah with Charlie. The day my mom crashed against a lamppost and got in a coma. The day my mom died. She didn't actually die that day, it was just she never woke up after that.

I can remember visiting her, laying in a hospital bed, looking dead but being still alive.

I wasn't the same Bella after that.

I felt suffocated, and I wanted to cry for help, but I couldn't produce any sound.

Soon after the death of my mother, my dad cut the crap and came to realize family was way more important than everything else. Charlie took us to Washington state, where he was originally from, and only took on some small local projects.

Although we all enjoyed the peace, it wasn't working for us.

There was no denying; Los Angeles was were we belonged.

A few years after our move to the Evergreen State, the studio of Chief Burke rang Charlie again. They wanted to boost the series with new life.

Maya and I knew he wanted to do it, and we also saw he was hesitate, not wanting to put any pressure on us.

"Dad, just take on the job."

"But…I'll have to move to L.A."

"Yes."

"I'm not letting you two down, ever again. I won't leave you two behind, wherever I'll go."

"Dad, don't worry. We can take of ourselves."

"Bella, if I'm going to LA, I'm not leaving you and sister here in Washington. And I'm not asking you to drop everything here."

"There isn't much to drop here."

He looked at me questionably.

"Dad, we would move with you."

"What?"

"Maya and I know how much you want to take up your old work again, and we're okay with that. We know you care for us, and won't make the same mistake again. To be honest, Washington isn't our state. It might be yours, down deep, but Maya and I are Californians, Dad. We're born and bred in Los Angeles. _That_'s our home."

"You would move?"

"Yes."

And so it happened. We moved back to Los Angeles, settling in Silverlake. Old habits are hard to change, after all.

Also, we loved that neighborhood to death.

Even though I felt at home, I found it hard to re-adjust.

I knew I had to, but I didn't know to how.

Charlie noticed I hadn't found my place yet, not on school.

He signed me on to a school called The Children Of Hollywood School.

Little did I know that from that moment on a new chapter, a new part of my life would begin.

* * *

**Edward Cullen, actor/musician/model**

Name: Edward Cullen.

I hear you thinking "Wait, isn't that that cute bronze haired boy who won on an Oscar?"

Yes, that's me.

At the age of fucking thirteen, I won an Academy Award for Actor in a Leading Role.

Why? God may know. And I don't even believe in any God.

Before I won the statue, I was this boy who loved to ride on his BMX or skateboard in the neighborhood.

I saw acting as a very cool hobby.

Music was my real passion.

Since I've been a baby, I have grown up with different kinds of music genres. When I was three or four I started with piano courses, soon followed by guitar.

I grew up in Venice Beach, LA, together with my younger sisters Christina Quinn and Honor Rose Riley.

They're identical twins. I can tell you: not cool.

'The Hollywood World' wasn't a stranger to me.

My father is director of photography/cinematography Carlisle Cullen, who directs and produces too. His main goals are Comic Con and Sundance.

My mother is Esme Platt, an interior designer.

Hollywood loves her, and she's asked by many celebs to help them.

So, I knew my way around the film sets.

But after I'd won an Oscar, I became _really _interesting material to those life suckers called paparazzi.

If I had to blame anyone but myself for all the shit, it would be them.

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**Alice Brandon, fashion designer/daughter of**

Alice Mary Brandon.

Born in Paris.

Resided in Paris, London, Milan, Tokyo, New York, Los Angeles.

Daughter of haute couture designer Lindsey Brandon of Biloxi Brandon.

The mother who took her and little sister Cynthia to Los Angeles, leaving her father behind in New York City, and won the full custody over the two.

Lindsey dressed her daughters in only haute couture.

Although Alice liked and loved the clothes, she wanted to wear something different and more comfortable to school, to wear in her free time.

She rebelled against her mother, and taught herself to make clothes for herself.

Alice got many compliments, and everyone wanted to know where she got her clothes from. She started to make clothes for her little sister.

With help of a far-connected family member, she launched her own brand titled Ivory Velvet.

Alice Brandon was sixteen years old.

Her clothes line was a big hit.

Deep down, her mother was proud, but she pushed it away. She neglected her daughters.

One afternoon, Cynthia got hit by a bullet when she was walking down the street to go to her weekly dancing class. The bullet wasn't meant to hit her.

Cynthia Coco Brandon was fifteen years old, Alice seventeen.

A year long, Alice designed clothes only in black and soft blue – Cynthia's favorite color.

One day, she met some guys who let her go away from the pain, from the loss, the pressure, the neglect, the lack of love and attention.

Drugs.

That's how talented, clever, short, beautiful, pixie Alice Mary Brandon got into the Children of Hollywood school, eventually.

It was her mother's last hope, out of pure desperation.

In the beginning, Alice hated to go there and saw it as another waste of money and time, another solution of her mother to get her out of the way.

Never had Alice Brandon expected to find her place, friendship and true love there.

But I did, I really did.

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**Jasper Whitlock, musician/model/actor**

Music is my life.

Even before I was born, it already was.

I was just destined to love music.

My father was this cowboy-looking country singer Robert "Bob/Bobby" Whitlock, my mother the lovely jazz musician Lora Capute.

Most of my childhood I spent in Texas, making music and play baseball, spending time with my family.

I'm the big brother of Carson and Myla, both in love with music as well.

It wasn't until my dad got diagnosed with cancer, that moving out of Texas came up.

Both my mom and dad had always wanted to live in California one day, but never got around to make the move.

My mom took us out to several towns in California, wanting to give us a say in this matter, too.

Even before I'd seen any of those towns, I knew which one would become our new hometown.

Los Angeles.

Carson had been buzzing over living in L.A. all her life, looking up estates for sell online and schools she could attend.

Myla didn't care much, as long as she could attend theatre and art classes.

"Mom, spare yourself the efforts. You know where we'll end up," I'd said to her, while driving on the Californian road.

"And where will that be, Jazz?"

"Los Angeles."

"Why so?"

"Carson wouldn't talk to you ever again if you denied her the chance to move to LA if we move to California anyway. It got some great schools and it offers all we need. Great music and art scene, museums…everything, Mom."

She'd sighed. "Yeah, you're right."

In the summer holiday, we moved to Echo Park, and settled in for school and classes.

My dad underwent his treatment, and luckily he was announced clean in six months.

He has to go to the doctor's now and then, but the cancer hasn't returned, yet.

I wasn't much of a trouble kid in early high school. I did good on school, had a popular band, was known in the L.A. music scene, had an acting job here and there, and enjoyed life.

Until my best friend, Peter, got killed by a crazy group of teens calling themselves a gang. They thought it cool to kick anybody who didn't look cool to death, leaving him on the sidewalk to bleed until life would leave him.

I totally went crazy, something in me just snapped.

It didn't take much or I would have hunted them down to kill them. Proper sense came back on me quickly, though. I knew that would have been my death. And more hauntingly and painfully, my family's, too.

Instead, I walked away.

Walking away is never good.

Not when you leave everything behind, without thinking, without purpose.

I guess I wanted to escape life and all its fucked-upness for a little while.

I started to play gigs in music venues all over the west coast, recorded an EP, and without intending to do so, I drifted back down south. To home.

My parents and sisters were hyperly happy I'd returned home, but knew they shouldn't bug me about it too much.

I went back to school, but couldn't concentrate. All those stupid, childish high school'ers annoyed the hell out of me.

They thought the world was coming to an end when they broke a finger nail, when they failed a test.

I knew this wasn't anything compared to the adult life.

My parents realized public schooling wasn't anything for me, not anymore, and enrolled me in this school called The Children Of Hollywood School, for kids who'd grown up with Hollywood, with fame.

It was the best thing my parents ever did for me.

* * *

**Rosalie Hale, model**

I never really got what my father saw in my mother.

He was a talented, smart art-major and artist; she was a playmate and model.

He was the good; she was the bad.

Nonetheless, I know my father changed my mother. He made her see you didn't have to be the person you thought you had to be.

You could be whoever you wanted, as long as made the change.

She quit being a playmate and only modeled for 'proper' projects.

I'm originally from San Diego, in the way I'm born and spent the first years of my life there.

But I see Los Angeles as my native- and hometown.

When my oldest brother was born, my mom stopped working and became a house mom, taking on little tasks she could do at home.

I was born third, having two older brothers named Noah and Elijah born before me, and followed by Diesel and Orson.

Since my mom knew her way into the model business and noticed the mysterious beauty us five held, it didn't take long or we'd all rolled into modeling.

I was the one who stuck with it, my brothers finding other interests which they found more important.

Myself, I loved modeling. I loved the attention, the praise, the sight of my face on huge billboards across town.

I was that popular girl on high school, that girl who has the pretty looks, the richest friends and every boy chasing and drooling over her.

Being popular isn't easy, especially when you're not rich, not interested in boys – not the ugly ones at my school, at least – and stuff you should be interested in.

To prove everyone worthy of my position, the most popular girl at school, I started to steal.

Money, clothes…everything to get my hands on the expensive fragrances, shoes, dresses.

I got caught just before my sixteenth birthday.

The police saw I regretted my actions and just wanted to get away from all the pressure, but didn't know how.

I was to serve in community service for three months.

My parents decided to let me switch schools.

Several friends recommended this school called Children of Hollywood School, a school specialized in dealing with kids coming from the Hollywood world.

Noah had become a writer, praised highly and of whom one of his books was currently being adapted for film. He was also dating the famous actress and musician Ally Kirkwood; Elijah had just finished up a film with one of Hollywood's most adored directors; Diesel had picked up modeling again and had landed a contract with Vans and Levi's, featuring all over the city and country; Orson would play his first big role on stage at one of Los Angeles' most anticipated theatres in a few weeks; my father worked part time on the art direction of films and TV-series; my mother frequently helped with the wardrobe, make-up and hair departments of many L.A. based projects; and I, myself, had been the arm-candy of one of Hollywood's sweet boys, which was in truth far from reality. I also modeled for big names in the fashion industry and starred in music videos of bands and student-films.

So, yes, I knew my way around Hollywood, and knew how fucked-up and pressuring it was.

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**Emmett McCarty, model/musician**

I knew what a bitch Hollywood could be, long before I'd actually been there, long before I actually knew what it was.

Hollywood was what had put on her siren call and had taken away my parents from their native grounds, away from their family, away from the known into the unknown.

It was what eventually drove them away back to the mid-east south.

It was what called them back again.

And, in my opinion, it was what eventually broke them apart.

I was born in the second period, the period they'd moved out of Hollywood and settled in Alabama.

My dad originally came from North Dakota, but grew up in Missouri. My mom was from Oklahoma.

My siblings and me grew up in this town called Dothan, in the southeast of Alabama, some twenty miles west from the state line with Georgia and twenty miles north of the one with Florida.

My siblings consist of two older brothers named Duncan and Wes, and a younger sister called Karlene Helen, but we all call her Hallie, having done so for her entire life.

Karlene is to my maternal grandmother, Karla, and Helen to my mother.

So, that makes the four of us.

I've been involved with sports ever since I was a little boy, being always busy with practices.

Baseball, basketball, soccer, lacrosse, kick boxing, track-running, tennis, judo, swimming, snowboarding, ice-hockey…you name it and I've done it.

It wasn't just the sport that called to me, although it was a big part of my life, it also was music. I've been in the school band when possible.

I used to do model jobs when I was young, but it wasn't until I was fourteen I got 'scouted'. Immediately, I landed jobs for Nike and Adidas, and graced billboards all over the world. With my modeling fines, I paid my additional classes and sport necessities.

If there was anything I didn't want to be, it was being a burden to my parents – although I knew they could have afforded it.

Both my parents still did some film work occasionally, my dad working as stunt director and my mother as an actress.

It could have been expected. It could have been expected there would come a day when my parents would get offered a job they just couldn't defy.

My dad got the chance to work with people he could have only dreamed of to work with before; my mom got the chance to do the same, be it on a different project.

So it happened us McCarties moved west, west to the Golden State, leaving the Yellowhammer State behind us.

We settled in Pasadena, the first mistake made.

All six of us weren't able to find our place there, desiring to live near the beach and water.

My parents started fighting more, started to ignore each other.

Duncan and Wes weren't home much, leaving Hallie and me to be torn in between our dad and mom.

Soon after we made the move to Santa Monica, my mom left my dad, moving to Malibu.

Little did we know it was because she'd met another man.

I followed her, because sue me, I'm a mama's boy.

Hallie followed me, afraid of staying behind alone, and frankly because she needed me the most.

The man she started dating wasn't a bad guy, but I just didn't like him.

He accused me of being a wild child and being a bad influence for my younger sister.

I couldn't stand him.

It didn't take long or he and my mom broke up, my mom being heartbroken.

Believe me, I wanted to be there for my sweet mother, but I was just so pissed off.

I moved back in with my dad, together with Hallie, and ignored her for several weeks.

I hang out on Muscle Beach, showing off my abs and enjoying the attention I got.

Both my parents dived into their work, not wanting to face their feelings. Which led to the neglecting of my sister and me.

Also, both my parents gained fame with their projects, leading to the fact people knew about me, knew my name and hobbies, sometimes even following me.

During that period, us two build up an incredibly close bond. I lived for her. Hallie was all I'd practically got left.

I dropped out of school to work, attending school appointments for my sister instead my parents.

At a gig, I met with this guy who said I should find help and just be sure I had graduated high school.

He said I should check out the Children Of Hollywood School.

I was a little hesitant at first, but eventually I took up my courage and made an appointment.

I was taken on.

Luckily, because I don't think I would have met the people I met any other way.

My friends for a life-time, and most of all, my angel. My rose.

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**So...what y'a think?**


	2. First Day

**Hollywood Kids: Children of LA Land  
**_**Chapter 2  
First Day**_

**A new chapter, finally. I've been working on this for ages, but now it's finally done. I decided to cut the chapter in two, so chapter 3 will be posted in a few as well. I've got some great ideas, _I'_m of the opinion at least, as for the rest of the story. Hope to have more up soon.**

**As for those who also read my other stories, sorry for not having updated in so long. The past month/months haven't been easy on me, and I've been really tired. I've begun working on Dating Fame ch 23 slowly, as well as new London Calling and Sun, BFF's and Love in LA chapters. I can't promise you anything as to when I'll have new material up, but I hope soon. **

**My Beta is the awesome _With The What Now, _who's been of great help, as always.**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns the story of Twilight. I just play around.**

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Hollywood.

I would lie if I said I hated it. You could lose yourself in your characters, live someone else's life, learn things about yourself you wouldn't have found out otherwise.

The events, award shows, premieres and press junkets I could handle. I didn't loathe them and it often occurred I got sent the most gorgeous dress or outfit to wear.

I would lie, too, if I said _loved _Hollywood, though.

Its dark side was of course the paparazzi and the fame going to your head.

Now, I've got a very down-to-earth father, witty and oh-so-subtle sister and a bunch of actor friends who say where it comes down to and keep me sane. I didn't have to worry about me going crazy crazy.

The paparazzi weren't so easy to deal with, though.

I could understand people –fans– wanted to know where their idols/the celebrities hung out, what they did and with who they spent time.

Believe me, I got that.

What people didn't see were cameras getting shoved into our faces, cars chasing us all day and all night long, just to get our pictures.

The school I'd attended in past years, ever since we moved back to LA,….there was nothing wrong with it; good education, amazing art program, nice teachers, okay kids.

It just wasn't the right school for me, as I came to realize at the end of last year.

My dad found me this school called The Children of Hollywood School.

Weird and freaky name, I know, but it was said to be a phenomenal school, a school which knew how to deal with dislodged, rich Hollywood youngsters.

The school was there to help get children of A-listers and Hollywood intimates their lives back on track, talk about their fears and problems, and graduate.

They knew their shit. Every teacher had gone through the same voyeuristic world people like me had to deal with on daily basis.

Being the daughter of Charlie Swan, _the_ Charlie Swan, wasn't easy at times. I was lucky I'd been able to establish a career on my own, without being seen as 'the daughter of', but it took me a _long_ time to loose the tag.

Eventually, it took a few months before I was able to enroll at the school, and today, mid-March in the middle of the semester in, was my first day.

_Always awkward._

Although the school was private, there wasn't any sort of uniform or dress code, something I was extremely grateful for. I loved being able to wear whatever I wanted. It gave me a nice feeling of freedom. Getting slated down by people I didn't even know, who were all being whiny about my choice of clothes, was tiring enough.

My dad wished my sister Maya and I good luck as we left for school. I would drop her off since Charlie had an appointment in a few and therefore was unable to drive her himself.

Maya and I both attended schools which used school buses, but Charlie had always insisted on driving us himself.

Going with the school bus might be good for socializing, but Charlie loved giving us a ride. Since he was busy often, the little moments he was off in the morning were very dear to him and he wanted to spend as much time with us as possible.

As I became older and got my driver's license, I started to go to school on my own, but at times I was in the mind for my Dad to drive me, and I always cherished those moments.

Even if my Dad was unable to drive Maya, he still preferred she would ride with me instead of taking the school bus. I suspected it might be because of some terrifying childhood memory he'd had himself of going with the school bus as a kid in Washington.

"Good luck, Bells," he said, placing a lingering, fatherly kiss on my forehead. "I love you."

As I pulled away, I could see tears brimming in his eyes.

The past couple of years hadn't been easy on him. Not only did he have to raise two rebellious teenage daughters all on his own, daughters who'd lost their mother, but he also had to deal with the fact those daughters were in the spotlight, too.

_I_ hadn't been easy on him, but still, he'd stood by my side, always supporting me. Always encouraging me to try out different things. He had his rules and boundaries, but was quite a relaxed father. He was a good dad. Something he didn't take an ounce of credit for, even if he truly deserved it.

"Love you, too, Dad. Thanks for everything."

Charlie waved it off as he gave my little sister her kiss-on-the-forehead, which he'd been giving us ever since we had started going to school.

For now, Maya was content with her own local high school, although she was also seriously considering enrolling into the Hollywood School herself. After some deliberation, she'd decided to stay on her school for at least the remaining part of the school year, where after she might choose to switch after the summer.

During the short drive it took to her school, we listened to our favorite radio station, singing along with the songs.

"Is that black van following us?" I questioned as I noticed a suspicious vehicle behind us in the rear mirror.

It wasn't a rarity that a black van – why, I don't know, but papz usually drive around in black vans or SUVs. Always black – would follow me as I went out and about. Even though I knew there was nothing I could do about it, as the media attention was something that came with fame, it didn't mean I was okay with it. Especially not if the following around also came down on my fifteen-year-old sister.

Maya turned around in her seat, looking out of the back window. "No, I don't think so. I don't see any cameras."

I nodded, nervously picking on my nails.

Nonetheless, she took out her phone, taking down the license plate number.

Smart girl, my sister.

"Are you nervous for your first day of school?" she asked as we waited for the light to turn green.

"A little," I admitted.

"I've got a feeling this school will be good for you, Bell," she reassured me, patting my hand. "And not just because of the school itself."

Maya was so much like Renee, our mother. She was very gypsy like, using 'I've got this feeling' _way_ too often.

"Don't loose yourself too deep in your imagination, May," I told her.

"I won't."

It didn't take long before I turned into her school's lot, stopping at the curb. I handed her her schoolbag as she stepped out of my vintage Chevy.

"Will you pick me up, too?" Maya asked, holding onto the door as she lingered on.

"Yep. Dad has a meeting and wardrobe fitting today, so he won't be able to pick you up himself. He _did _promise to bring Italian take-out for dinner, though," I smiled.

"Ooh," Maya said appreciating.

Just to say, we Swans _love _Italian.

"Good luck, May," I told her as she was about to close the door.

"You too, sis."

Just as she was about to walk off, she turned back around. "Oh, just before I forget, I read Edward Cullen goes to that school of yours, you know. If you spot him, will you say his portrayal of Arian in _Silent Garden _was terrific?"

I rolled my eyes. "Sure."

Hell no I would not do _that_.

My little sister waved as I drove off the lot, music already filling my car.

I made a sharp turn so I was heading in the right direction for my new school. In a nervous habit, I righted my sunglasses and moved my hand through my hair when I didn't need two hands on the wheel.

After a 20-minute drive, I could see the top of the school buildings out of the windscreen. I swallowed nervously.

I drove my car onto the lot of the Children of Hollywood School.

It wasn't nearly as big as the one of my old school. The campus consisted of three buildings, of which one I suspected was a gym hall. A track field with a football pitch inside the track lanes was situated next to them. A soccer field was its neighbor. Both fields were flanked by grandstands.

Students were already gushing out of their cars, ascending the stairs to the entrance doors and walking into the buildings as I pulled my car in a empty spot.

Trying not to drown in the crowd of people, I made my way to the _Secretariat_, where I would have to register myself.

A nice looking lady was sitting behind the desk and smiled up at my arrival. "What can I do for you, honey?" she asked me.

"Eh…well…I'm new here," I stammered with flushing cheeks.

"Oh, you must be…Isabella Swan," she read from a small post-it taped on the wall.

I nodded.

"I recently saw you in _Dark Lightness_. You did a phenomenal job playing a mental unstable girl. Terrific performance."

My cheeks flushed. "Um…thank you."

"Just telling you the truth," she waved off, handing me a stack of papers. "I don't know if you've seen the map on our site, but here's one just in case you haven't. These are the two school buildings, the other one is the gym building," she pointed out on the map, tapping the sides with her pencil.

"Mind that the gym building has three separate halls. As for the other two buildings, building A is for languages and cultural subjects, such as history and geography. B is for biology, physics, maths, chemistry and other beta subjects. The numbers of the class rooms are in the spaces. The main cafeteria is in A, as are the auditorium, talk sessions and theaters," she explained and handed over the papers.

"Thank you."

The woman smiled at me. "This is your locker number and its lock. The password is on the front paper I gave you." She handed me the lock. "Well, good luck and have a lot of fun here," she smiled again.

"Thanks."

I hastily made my way over to my locker, since I didn't want to be late at my first day of school.

One last time, I looked to see if I had everything.

Books for the hours until lunchtime. Check.

Pens. Check.

Notebooks. Check.

Timetable. Check.

Diary. Check.

Map. Check.

Glasses, just in case. Check.

iPod. Check.

_Okay, just get over it,_ I gave myself a pep talk as I slowly closed my locker and made my way to class.

Luckily, the class room where I would have my first hour wasn't that difficult to find. I didn't want to earn only more attention than a new student already would have by getting lost and being late for class on my first day.

Taking a deep breath, I opened the door of the classroom where I would have my first lesson of the day.

This shouldn't have been weird or uncomfortable for me; I'd switched schools not as often as some kids had, three times, and I'd stood before a bigger crowd of strangers.

Besides, you couldn't call this a crowd. This was a classroom filled with students. Not more than twenty-five, I guessed.

Nonetheless, I was a little nervous, though. I wasn't a crowd pleaser, but still…I also had the human need of other people to like and accept me.

The teacher, named Pat Reginald – member of the famous Reginald family - was this cool, filthy-mouthed woman, who sure as hell knew the Hollywood world herself.

"Alright, silent everybody. We've got a new student. Show some respect. We all know how much it sucks to stand in front of a class with everyone staring at you as if you're an alien."

The class laughed.

"Miss Swan, this will be your 'home' class, with whom you will have PE, English and Film. For the other subjects, all seniors are thrown together and mixed," Pat explained to me, before she made a sidestep and motioned for me to stand in front of the class. "After you, miss Swan, introduce yourself."

I nodded and cleared my throat. "Hello," I started, my cheeks flushing a deep red.

"Mr Martin, shut it," Pat said, without even looking at the boy in the back who'd made a sound.

I recomposed myself. "I'm Isabella Swan, but call me Bella please. I live Silver Lake and am eighteen years old. I'm the oldest daughter of Charlie Swan…." whispers erupted amongst the students, "whom you may have heard of. He's an actor. I have a younger sister who goes to another school, and I love music, reading and watching films," I ended.

"Thank you very much, Bella. You can sit over there," Pat said, pointing at two empty tables in mid row adjoining the wall with windows looking out over the ocean.

The rest of the day went by smoothly and I got to meet a bunch of really cool people, some I recognized from TV, huge billboards across town or the big screen; my classes were alright, just as my teachers.

It wasn't that this school had turned me into a school-loving girl who couldn't wait to get to classes every morning, – c'mon, it was still _school_ – but this wasn't so bad.

After my final class had finished, I made my way back to my truck. I'd found it on a car graveyard near our house and instantly loved it. I could have easily afforded a much more posh and fancy car, but my truck had kind of grown on me. I would drive it until it fell to pieces.

Just as I was about to step into the cabin, a short, pixie-like girl came skipping towards me. She seemed vaguely familiar.

"Hi," she beamed.

"Hello," I answered tentatively, taken aback by her excitement.

"I'm Alice Brandon, we've some classes together." Still a big smile.

I recognized her now. She was in my history and literature classes, I believed. "Yeah, yeah, I've seen you. I'm Bella Swan," I said, extending my hand.

Instead of taking my hand, she took me in a hug. A hug which was way stronger than I would have expected from such a petite-looking girl.

"I know," she said matter-of-factly after she'd let me go. "You've worn some of my designs."

_Holy shit_. Such a small world. "Wait, you're Alice Brandon, _the_ Alice Brandon, from Ivory Velvet?"

She nodded, her eyes glittering of excitement and pride.

"Whoa. That's so cool. I mean…_You_'re so cool. I love your brand. Not that I know all about fashion and such, but yours…I love it."

"Thank you so much," she said, taking me by surprise as she hugged me, hard, again. "You know, I'll have the launch of my new collection coming up. It's exclusive, invites only. You wanna come?"

Oh, why the hell not? She seemed nice alright. Besides, I needed some new friends, to completely pull me out of my old life. "Sure. When?"

"Yay!" she beamed excitingly, clapping in her hands while jumping up and down like a little girl. "In two weeks. I'll find you a date."

I gulped. "A date?"

"Yes, a _date_, silly. You can't show up there on your own," Alice chuckled, stepping into her shiny, canary yellow Porsche which was parked next to mine.

As she turned the key, music loudly filled the space. "I'll give you the details later," she said over the booming bass.

I rolled my eyes and stepped into my vehicle, hitting the play button of my car stereo as I drove to Santa Monica where I would have a film meeting and wardrobe fitting, after I'd picked up Maya and brought her to the set of a film she was currently working on.

Later that day, after the meeting had ended and I'd grabbed some Starbucks drinks and sweets for Maya and myself, I parked my truck on the side of a street in downtown Los Angeles.

Having collected all my stuff from the passenger seat, I walked up to the set of Maya's current film project, pushing my way through the gathered crowd of on-lookers.

"Hi, I'm here to visit Maya Swan," I said to a security guard who stood by the security fencing.

The man said something in his ear bud, before he turned back to me. "Name?"

"Bella Swan, Isabella Swan. Maya is my little sister."

He nodded, before he spoke in his ear bud again. "Can I see your pass, please?"

Oh fuck. _Oh fuck_.

Nervously, I searched through my purse.

_Please let me have it. Please let me have it._

"Bella!" Maya's voice saved me. "It's okay, Dane. She's with me," she smiled at the man, walking up to us.

He nodded curtly before opening the fence for me so I could enter the set.

After she'd given me a welcome hug, my sister eagerly pulled me to a little preparation tent. "I'm so glad you came, Bella. Means a fucking lot to me," she ranted while on the way.

"Me, too. Sorry I was late," I apologized.

"Nah, don't worry. You didn't miss anything."

"What scene are you shooting today?"

"Just some hang-out scenes, street shots."

I nodded.

As we arrived at the preparation tent, she introduced me to the people inside – a few of her co-stars and crew members. We settled down in the movie chairs.

Maya loved those, the movie chairs with the logo of the film on the front or back, or better if they were personalized, with her name on the back. She always got to take hers home.

"So, did you see Edward Cullen?" she asked me, sipping from her Starbucks Frappuccino.

_Shit_, I'd hoped she'd forgotten about it. "Why?" I feigned innocence.

Maya rolled her eyes, sighing. "Well, because he attends the same school as you, as I told you before, and because he's in your grade."

"He's one year older than me, May, " I told her. I knew she knew that.

Yes, I knew how old he is. I knew his birthday, place of birth, names of his parents, names of siblings. I was just as hooked as all those screaming fan girls who drooled all over him. Fucking sue me.

"I _know_, but he's repeating a class, for the second time."

"Edward Cullen is repeating," I said disbelievingly. "From what I've heard, read and seen he's one of the most clever and smartest and intelligent people existing."

"All I know is that he's a senior and nineteen years old," she shrugged. "Oh, and when you _do_ see him, give him my praise. I'll know when you do it."

"Sure."

"Yes. I've got my connections, you know."

I rolled my eyes at her as she led me towards her trailer.

* * *

_**First day of Hollywood School for Bella Swan**_

_Bella Swan, 18, started off at her new school The Children of Hollywood School today. She was seen arriving at the school's lot after having dropped off younger sister Maya, 15, at school. The 18 year old was dressed down in her usual, comfy attire consisting of a plaid blouse, printed tee, jeans and worn-off Converse sneakers accompanied by her favorite Ray Bans shielding off her eyes._

_Later on the day, she was seen visiting the set of _My Street_ in downton Los Angeles, being greeted by Maya, who plays the role of Piper, also the narrator of the story, in the film. _

_Charlie Swan's oldest daughter previously attended a public high school in Silver Lake, where the family currently resides, but decided to switch schools, reportedly due to it lacking in Bella's needs._

_The _Method Acting_ actress isn't the only famous and hot-list student of the Hollywood School. Other attendees include Academy Award winning multi-talent Edward Cullen, _Ivory Velvet_ designer Alice Brandon, indie musician Jasper Whitlock and models Rosalie Hale and Emmett McCarty, to name but a few._

* * *

My first week went by without any remarkable events or obstacles occurring. By now, I'd people to sit with during lunch and had had my first talking therapy session.

The talking session had been a little awkward at first, but soon I realized everyone had had to go through this and they all had a shit life, haunted by paparazzi.

From the people I'd befriended, I got along with Angela Weber best. She was the daughter of Alex Weber, a renowned businessman and owner of several shop chains. Angela was shy like me, and didn't talk much. I liked that.

Ever since the parking lot meeting, Alice Brandon and I had talked a couple more times, but didn't sit together during lunch. She was usually busy sketching.

So, after the first week had gone by peacefully, I was quite surprised when I walked into my English class on Monday the first period the next week, to find my seat taken.

A black beanie-wearing guy was gazing out of the window, something _I_ had done the past week.

Annoyed, I walked up to my table. "That's my seat you're sitting on," I accused.

He turned around.

And holy hell…he was _good-looking_.

The hair peeping out from under his beanie was a rare shade of bronze-copper and his _eyes_…don't even let me begin about the pools of Emerald green which contained specks of gold-ish yellow.

My intellectual powers sank to the ground.

I didn't even realize I _knew_ this guy. Knew him from a distance yes, but knew him nonetheless.

That's what an effect he had on me, something he only made worse when he gave me a crooked smile.

What was my name? What had I said to him? Where was I?

"No, it isn't," he said. God, his _voice_! "This is my seat, has been for over a few months now."

I'd hell no idea how I managed to speak, let alone form sense-making sentences, and hold my ground. "Last week it didn't seem so."

"I was in Louisiana, filming."

"So you just ditched?"

_Hello_, Bella. This is the Children of Hollywood School! Lots of students are working as an actor, that means shooting on location. Jesus, this guy would never speak to me ever again for me behaving like a complete fool.

He chuckled, saying the exact words I'd just shouted at myself. "This is the Children of Hollywood School. Everyone is involved in the business, somehow. I, myself, have been an actor for a long time already, long before I started attending this school. As long as I make my tests and exams, hand in papers and assignments, and attend as much classes as I possibly can, the school board supports me and lets me go away for filming."

"Oh," I said dumbly.

An actor, huh?

_Bella, _think_! You know the guy. You _know_ him. You should know his name._

But there was just no way this could happen to me, so I dismissed the nagging voice in my head that said this was my crush. It just couldn't be, right?

Normally, I always paid attention during English, just because I loved the subject.

Not now, though.

I was too intrigued by the beautiful oh-so damn familiar stranger – I knew I should remember him, but well, if you've spent your whole life on film sets and such, _everybody_ seems familiar; and this guy held some very mesmerizing and mind-fucking beauty – sitting next to me.

Each time he caught me looking – _staring_ might be a better word – at him, which was very often I admit, he gave me that crooked smile again, the one I was starting to love.

When the bell rang, the room emptied quickly and my neighbor moved smoothly and gracefully to the door.

I didn't know a thing about him, but still I had the feeling I had to.

All I knew for now was that he was a fan of Eddie Money, as he was wearing a shirt of the singer. You wouldn't wear a tee of someone you didn't like, right?

Oh my god, I was totally obsessing over some guy I don't even know the name of. _Jesus_!

The following hours up till lunch, the guy stayed in my mind, and I couldn't concentrate on my school work. Luckily, my teachers didn't ask me any questions. I didn't think I would have been able to answer.

As lunch-time came, I walked with my tray in hand to the spot I went to when I needed some alone time.

Although there was nothing wrong with the cafeteria, I preferred to sit outside. If the weather was nice enough that is, which it was today as well as most of the year here in sunny Los Angeles.

On my way, I spotted the bronze-haired actor leaning against the trunk of a tree with his headphones and Ray Ban Wayfarers on while he furiously scribbled down on what looked like a music pad.

Whoa, that meant he could write lyrics and chords.

I'd always had respect for people who wrote songs. Although I loved playing music myself, having played the piano as a kid and now the guitar, I couldn't _write _music. I stayed with writing poems and stories.

_Oh, just get over it and say hello!_

"Hi," I stuttered. Yes, I managed to stutter the one-syllable word 'hi'. That's how big an idiot I am, if you hadn't noticed before.

He looked up from his music.

And _shitting hell_! His Emerald green eyes which slightly turned gold towards the pupil shined and blazed heavily in the sunshine as he put off his sunglasses.

It was as if I'd been blind before. His eyes were _breathtaking_. Even more so than before.

Maybe I hadn't noticed before how truly mesmerizing they were because I was too dazzled by his ruffled hair and crooked smile.

Man, I'm so screwed.

"Hey," he said.

That was when I realized I was still standing next to him like a complete dumbfuck. I had to say something. "Err…do you mind if I come sit here?"

"No, go ahead. I don't own this place," he chuckled.

"Thanks," I smiled at him shyly, showing my gratitude. I unpacked my luncheon and started eating from my sandwich.

"So, what brought you here?" he asked.

I didn't know if he was referring to choice of lunch place or me joining this school. I opted to go for safe, to avoid I would be making a fool of myself, again, with answering a question he hadn't even asked. "What do you mean?"

"What brought you to this school? You don't get in here so easily. Each student here is somehow fucked up."

"I know," I sighed.

"So?"

I don't know why, but it felt just really good to talk with him, to let it all out. I wasn't afraid he would hurt my trust. Fuck me, I'm weird. I don't even know his name and I'm already spilling out some of my fucked-up-ness.

"Public school didn't work out for me, not anymore. I needed more structure, and support from people who knew what I was going through, what I was talking about, because they'd been through the same sort of situation. Being an actress means I miss out on school from time to time. My last school was too understanding. Here you have to attend a minimal amount of classes. They don't take your bullshit."

He nodded.

"I'm Bella, by the way," I proposed myself and pulled out my hand.

"Edward," he said, shaking my extended hand.

_Edward_.

I knew an Edward. I had a crush on an Edward.

But there was no way this could be _the_ Edward. It just couldn't be.

Yeah, Hollywood might not be a big world, compared to the more than nine million people living in the entire Los Angeles County, but I'm sure there were more Edwards around working in the business.

Didn't Maya tell you _the_ Edward attended this school as well? How small are the odds there is more than one Edwards in your year who holds remarkable and extraordinary resemblances to your Edward? Stop being so fucking _dense_, Swan!

"Nice to meet you, Edward," I smiled and gazed out over the schoolyard, overlooking the ocean.

"Same," he smiled. "Life can be pretty messed up, huh?" He gazed into the same direction as me.

"Yeah," I sighed sadly.

"So, what have you done to deserve this?" Edward waved his hand over the school property.

Something told me he'd been attending this school for quite some time now. "You know this place pretty well, I guess?"

"You could quite say that," he confirmed, but didn't explain as he rolled the ball back at me. "But tell me."

"You know Charlie Swan?" I started.

His eyes widened, surprised by my take-off. "_The _Charlie Swan? One of Hollywood's coolest actors?"

I still found it weird people knew Charlie as an award-winning actor, while to me he was just my crazy dad who's work meant playing other people. "That would be him, yeah."

"What's with him?"

"You know anything about his private life?"

He shrugged. "I heard he has two daughters."

"He does," I confirmed, baffled by the fact he knew more about my father's life than that he was an actor.

"And?"

I swallowed. _Here goes._ "I am one of them, the oldest."

He gaped. "You're Charlie Swan's daughter? You're Bella Swan? _The_ Bella Swan?"

I blushed at the fact he knew who I was, not just because of my father, but because of me. Just me. I was flattered. "Yeah, crazy world, huh?"

"My sister, Maya, is fifteen," I added.

"Mine are, too." He shook his head as if he was thinking of some memory.

It didn't go unnoticed to me he used 'are' instead of 'is', as in more than one sister. "Twins?" I guessed.

"Sadly. _Very_ annoying, I can tell you. Even worse, they're not just twins, they're _identical_ twins. Christina and Honor Rose."

So, here you have it, Bella. The ultimate proof, so stop denying the fact you've been swooning all over the guy who has actually been your crush for over seven years now, if not longer.

There was only one Honor Rose I knew, and that was Honor Rose Cullen, the girl who won an Oscar on the age of freaking _eleven_. Cullen…_Edward_ Cullen, her older brother, had won an Oscar on the age of thirteen. You've _got_ to be kidding me.

"Are you…are you Edward _Cullen_?"

Edward nodded, looking down as if he were ashamed or saddened by the fact he _was_ Edward Cullen. "Guilty."

"No, it's okay. You...it's just so surreal. Even given the fact I grew up in the Hollywood world and am friendly with many actors and other famous people, I had my idols and icons, too. And well, you were…are…one of them," I confessed with blushing cheeks.

My confession seemed to cheer him up and as a thank-you-gift, he gave me _that_ smile again. "That's an honor," he said shyly, clearly not comfortable with taking on compliments.

Something I could completely understand. People thought I was being humble because I wanted people to like me, but I was just naturally humble. Compliments were just very embarrassing for me. It gave me a good, peaceful feeling Edward seemed to feel about that the same way I did.

"You seemed so familiar to me, but I just couldn't believe it was really you, you know. Maya told me you were going to this school, but I just could not…well…wow, this is so bizarre," I shared my thoughts.

"Tell me about it," he sighed understandingly, and I swore I saw a faint blushing splayed over his pale cheeks.

I decided not to ask him about that blush. He didn't ask about mine, either, something I was very grateful for. Also, I wasn't the one to fish for compliments, a_nd_ I couldn't believe Edward Cullen might have some sort of crush or liking on me. Let's be serious here, now.

"So, you're a senior?" I changed subjects, before I asked him about it and embarrass myself only further.

"Yep."

"At nineteen?" I asked, unable to keep the disbelief out of my voice.

God, I couldn't imagine how much that would suck. Being in a year with people _two_ years your junior. If it were be me, I would be in a class with kids one year older than May. Ew, that would be _not_ cool.

"Sadly, yes."

I got the idea Edward wasn't the one to give long answers. During public appearances, he appeared to be quite the chatterbox, but privately…I believed he was more of a brooding, silent guy.

Although I granted him his peace, I found I felt an urge to get to know him, _really_ get to know him. I wanted to know everything about him, anything. An urge I just couldn't shut down.

"Do you mind if I ask you why? You seem to be a really smart guy."

_Stop the talking, Swan. Try to shut down that urge. Just stop fucking talking and don't make a fool of yourself!_

Before Edward answered, it seemed as if he debated to tell me or not. Apparently, he trusted me enough to tell, as he spoke up. "I enrolled into this school on the age of fifteen. I was fucked up at the time. _Really_ fucked up. I was a sophomore and didn't do a thing for the entire year. So, they made me re-sit," he said, scrunching his hands over his face.

"My parents told me that if I would have to double again, they would cut back all my loans. School, music…everything. They knew I could do better. At first, it made me only more rebellious, but then I got the message.

"I finished my second sophomore year with almost straight As only. The following year, though, I got this chance to star in a dream project of mine. The downside was, though, that shooting would take up eighteen months back to back. I dropped out of school so I could focus on my role. I was tutored on set and got through junior year, but it didn't feel right not to be in school for my senior year. I decided to do senior year after I'd wrapped up. Eventually it took longer than eighteen months anyway…" His voice suddenly dropped and he fell completely silent.

"The project took longer and…and I had some issues to deal with at home. I started senior year here this fall."

His face and tone told me he'd experienced some heavy and ugly shit, and I wanted nothing more than to reach out and hug him, soothe him. But it wasn't my place. Yet. I barely knew him.

Instead, I tried to lighten the mood a bit. "Doesn't that suck really hard, being in a year with kids two, three years your junior?" I asked on a jokingly tone.

A small smile appeared on his lips. "Yeah, it does, but there are some really cool people around, who are older as well. Besides, it's just school, it's not everything."

"I agree."

He turned his body around, fully facing me, before _he_ asked _me_ a question. "You switched schools quite a few times, right? I mean, you started off here, then went to San Francisco to move to Washington some time later and returning to LA a few years back."

"It does, but I don't need many friends. I'm a loner, mostly," I confessed. After he'd shared some heavy shit, I wanted him to know about me, too.

"I've got my dad, my sister, family, and my dog especially to keep me company, so I'm not really alone."

"Me neither, to be honest. I've got a couple of friends, but there are only just a few people who really get me…and God…this sounds really wrong…" His voice dropped again, in embarrassment rather than agony this time, and he pulled on the strands of his hair.

"What?"

"Little sisters are supposed to be annoying, nosy and shameless, always embarrassing the fucking daylight out of you, and yet, my sisters…they take absolutely no crap of me. They see _right_ through me," he confessed.

"If someone would ask me 'Who really gets you?' I would answer Christina and Honor Rose," he explained.

The adoration, love, respect and protectiveness he felt for his sisters were very apparent and evident in his voice.

It melted my heart only more.

"Do you have a middle name?" I asked out of curiosity and randomness, wanting to know him.

I'd read his middle name somewhere, and I knew he'd played a character once that had the same name as his middle name, but I couldn't fanthom what it was at the moment. Must be the dazzling effect Edward had on me.

"Anthony, after my mum's deceased younger brother. You?"

"Marie, after my paternal grandmother."

"I remember that I knew Charlie Swan's oldest daughter was one year younger than me, which makes you eighteen now, right?"

"Yep. I turned eighteen six months ago."

"Which means you should have graduated from high school last year," he stated.

"I had trouble learning when I was in middle school. After what happened to my mom, after she died, I just blocked everything out. They made me re-do sixth grade."

"I'm sorry about your mom," he said sincerely.

"Me, too." _Me, too._

I suddenly had the yearning ache to call up Renee and tell her all about Edward, tell her I was doing okay, that I was getting my life back, finally. I just wanted to talk to her.

That's what I missed the most about my mom: that I wasn't able to speak to her whenever I felt like it, do stuff with her anymore. I would be forever without a mom.

* * *

**It might seem weird Bella doesn't recognize Edward, given the fact she's been a fan of him for almost her entire life, but she's just really blinded. She can't believe it's _really_ him, therefore she ignores all the indications that it IS him. Although they both know a lot about one another, as they been admirers of each other's careers for a long time, they are not familiar with the other's private life, as those are kept out of the spotlight as much as possible and not shared with the public. Both of them have gone through some heavy and ugly shit, more of which will be revealed in later chapters.**

**The part where Bella asks Maya if a black van is following them, and Maya turns around in the car to look and says she doesn't see anybody, but does take down the plate number, is based on a scene in _Somewhere_, between Johnny Marco and his daughter Cleo.**


	3. Whole Foods

**Hollywood Kids: Children of L.A. Land****  
**_**chapter 3: Whole Foods**_

**Beta'd by With _The What Now_. She's the best.**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight, I just play around.**

* * *

My second week at The Children of Hollywood School and the first with Edward, passed by rapidly.

Ever since that Monday, Edward and I spent an increasingly amount of time together. He switched seats in our Film and Literature classes and came to sit next to me. It also happened that the only free seat in Biology, was the one next to him.

During lunch hour, we would have heated conversations about music, films, books, animals…hell, _everything_.

In the span of a mere five days, Edward Cullen had become my best buddy. The speed of how fast he'd gotten under my skin only left me wondering how fast the next level would come.

* * *

On Friday after school I, together with my dad and Maya, headed down to Whole Foods Market at The Grove in Beverly Hills.

Although Charlie was okay with every supermarket, his favorite was Whole Foods Market, stubborn old man that he is, so each time he went to do groceries with us – which was a rarity – he persisted to go to Whole Foods Market.

And not just any Whole Foods Market, but the one at The Grove.

If it was my time to do groceries, I went to farmer's markets mostly. Or any supermarket I came across, I couldn't really care, but Whole Foods was okay with me, too.

Of course, people's jaws dropped to the ground when they spotted my father, _the_famous Charlie Swan, walking around in Whole Foods Market doing groceries.

By now, Maya and I had grown used to it and just went our way through the isles.

My _own_jaw dropped to the ground, though, when, while looking for herbs to go with tonight's dinner, I walked into Edward.

"Hi," I squeaked.

"Hey," he smiled. He smiled _that_smile, the crooked one. The adorable, sexy one. The one which should come with a warning: 'Wear sunglasses. This could cause blindness'.

"I thought you lived in Venice," I blurted out.

Yes, he does Bella, but don't you live in Silver Lake? Silver Lake, much farther away from the supermarket you're at the moment than Venice? I thought you didn't want to come off as a total dumbass? Well, you're doing a really great job, Swan.

"Venice Beach, yes. I thought you lived in Silver Lake," he retorted.

"I do."

"So, what are you doing in Beverly Hills? I'm sure they've got a Whole Foods Market closer to home."

"You stole my line!"

_Fuck_, why am I always so carefree around Edward?

Blame the hotfuck himself.

"Well, you can ask me the question, too. But not before you've answered mine."

I sighed. "My dad's obsessed with Whole Foods Market, especially this one, although he _hates_crowds. Dad was in the mood to do groceries, so here we are. He's taken us out for a father-daughters bonding bash today. We're going to catch a movie in a few," I rambled.

Edward nodded. "I'm here because my mom had to visit the house she's currently working on in Beverly Hills. My sisters and I went along but got bored, so our Mom took us out to grab grabbing something for early-dinner before we head back there."

"Nice."

Then, from out of nowhere, a girl appeared at Edward's left side.

She seemed around Maya's age, and was without a doubt Edward's sister.

They shared the same rare bronze-copper hair color, intense eyes – hers being hazel-blue whilst his were Emerald green – , prominent jaw and cheekbones, and sleek figure.

Before any introduction could be made, a second girl appeared at his _right_ side, almost an exact copy of the other.

Whoa, _The Parent Trap_ moment here. Luckily, I could prevent myself from moving my hands to my mouth and squealing in shock just like that Cruella de Vile had done.

Edward saw my knocked-away expression and chuckled. "Isabella, meet my sisters, Christina and Honor Rose."

"Hi," Edward's twin sisters said, in _unison_ might I add.

"Hay," I mumbled. "So, whose who?" I asked, looking from the one to the other.

"I'm Christina," the girl with the more hazel eyes said, who was also a _little_, _little_ bit smaller than her twin. She was dressed down in cut-off denim shorts, high-top Vans, a vintage The Clash band shirt and waistcoat.

"And I am Honor Rose," the other said, whose eyes were a mix of blue with specks of gold and hazel towards the pupil. She was wearing a London-themed tee, cut-off denim shorts as well and TOMS.

"But if you ever get confused, Chris wears a necklace with a C pendant, while I wear a necklace with a H pendant," she explained.

"Just like in _The Parent Trap_," I perceived.

"You've seen that movie? It's our favorite. We're _big_ fans of Lindsay Lohan," Honor Rose beamed excitingly.

"_Jesus_, Honor Rose, seriously, take it down a notch," her brother bellowed.

Honor Rose shot her brother diggers. "She got taste," she told him, before turning back to me. "Nice to finally meet you, Bella," she smiled at me, as if she'd been waiting for this moment for ages.

_Finally_? I'd only known the guy for a week.

I glanced at Edward, who seemed to be beyond embarrassed and didn't want to meet my eye.

"Chris, Hon, weren't you on a hunt for Ben & Jerry's?" he said.

"Edward, we've been here before, and yes, the store is quite huge, but we know where we can find Ben & Jerry's. Already done," Christina said.

"We picked Cookie Dough and Fairly Nuts, in case you were wondering," her younger twin added.

"You girls are such label whores," Edward sighed.

"No, we're not! We just have good taste," Honor Rose argued.

"Well, go check out magazines," Edward tried again.

"The magazines we're truly interested in we've got subscriptions on."

"Don't you play the oblivious card. You know what I'm hinting at." He glared.

Honor Rose rolled her eyes. "We _know_, Ed. We just couldn't help giving you a hard time."

"Really nice meeting you, Bella," Christina smiled as they were about to take off.

"Yeah," I said.

"God. I'm really sorry about them. They can be very, very forthcoming." He looked over his shoulder, seeing his sisters lingering at the end of the aisle, very subtly, and flipped them the bird.

"It's okay. Maya can be very obtuse, too."

Something had perked my interest after having seen his sisters from up close, though. Identical twins had identical genotypes, which included the primary color of the eye.

Christina and Honor Rose Cullen did not have the same eye color. Christina's were hazel, while Honor's were blue.

"Why do Christina and Honor Rose have different eye colors?" I asked Edward.

"You noticed. Genetically speaking, they have the same eye color, which would be hazel-blue, like Christina has. But during their time in the womb, Honor contracted something, what messed up her eye color," Edward explained.

"Like Heterochromia?" I prompted.

"Yeah. How did you know about that?" he asked surprised.

"My grandma…she was Heterochromatic. One eye was brown, one was green."

"With Honor, it's partial Heterochromia, meaning part of the irises are different from the rest of the eyes. The outer circles of her irises are primary blue, with the inner circles primary hazel. Most people with partial Heterochromia have central Heterochromia, meaning the inner circles of their irises have a different color than the rest of the eyes. Honor has the turned-around version. Her genetic eye color comes through in the inner circles instead of the outer circles. Everybody thinks she has blue eyes, but she hasn't actually."

"Whoa, that's something."

"It is. She's always been proud of it, and it helped us keeping them apart," Edward chuckled. "But…err…I guess I'll see you later?" he said in a questioning tone.

I nodded, giving a slight wave as to say goodbye.

"Hey, before I forget," he stopped me. "I was just wondering…since it's coming up in a month's time…will you go to Coachella this year?"

"Do you even have to ask? I've been going ever since I was eleven."

"Really?"

"Yeah. My Dad always takes us."

"Cool. I'm going, too. With my parents and sisters. Well, I'll drive with my family, but once at the festival we all go our own way, except eating together and that."

"Awesome. You know, we could meet up," I proposed.

"Deal," Edward smiled broadly, shaking my hand. "Well…err…I'll see you later, then?"

"At school, probably, yeah. Later."

EPOV

As I approached my sisters, I made it clear to them I was beyond furious at them for their embarrassing behavior and the little stunt they'd pulled.

"Don't exasperate," Honor told me before I could even speak out one single word.

"Hmph," I mocked.

I would have pressed the matter, wouldn't it be that we were in a crowded, public space with lots of people who would spread news over the world Edward Cullen got in an argument with his sisters in Whole Foods _and_ because I knew arguing with my sweet, dear sisters was nine out of ten times a lost cause.

"You know, Edward, she's really cool," Christina said as we walked back to our mum.

I knew my sisters long enough to know these two had something on their minds. "Spill the beans, girls."

"What do you think of Bella, Edward? I mean, how do you see her?" Honor questioned.

Eh, _what_? What was it with the serious talk at once? "I think she's great, the coolest. Why?"

Honor halted in the middle of the isle and turned around, boring her eyes into mine. "Edward, I think you've got a little crush on her, as to say in our language." She glanced sideways at her twin who was nodding along with her assumption.

Right, their language. You didn't want to play scrabble with them, trust me.

Then I settled on what her words actually implied.

My sisters were selfless, not just selfless, but beyond selfless, and when they knew something was serious, they tried to phrase it as subtle as possible.

Meaning that when Honor said 'you've got a little crush on her', she actually meant something like 'you want to marry her'.

"Honor," I gasped.

"Edward," she mimicked my tone as she started walking again.

"No, it's not like that," I hissed, looking around anxiously to see if Bella wasn't somewhere in hearing distance.

"Why not?"

Holy shit, she was actually serious.

"Christina," I pleaded, needing someone to back me up on this, although I knew trying to side Christina against her twin wasn't the smartest idea.

"What?" she said on that same way as her sister had just moments ago.

"Please don't do this to me! Don't corner me," I said desperately.

"Edward, we're _twins_, _identical_ twins. At least half of the time we think alike. We've talked about this," Christina explained matter-of-factly.

"When?"

"We don't need words, brother dear."

"Yeah right."

"We _Cullens_ don't need words. And for your information, we've been talking about it ever since you came home from your first day of school after having shot _Dahlia & Rodan's Mixtape _in Louisiana. Your eyes were all funking sparkling and you were so, _so_ happy, even us being annoying couldn't get you out of your mood. As you spoke out her name it contained a level of emotion we couldn't really put a tag on, but then we heard Mum saying Dad's name, and we knew which emotion it was, and that emotion was love."

What the fuck? What sort of show or book or film had my sisters recently seen that they thought they could see in the future? Jeez, they really watched way too much crap shit. My parents had to keep an eye on them. This was just unhealthy.

By then, luckily, we'd made it to our mom.

"Mom, the twins are being annoying and nosy, again. Could you please tell them to stop?" I pleaded.

Next to me, said twins snickered and walked off, getting some more fancy label food probably.

"How are they being annoying, darling?" she asked absently as she was looking at the offer of wine.

"They think I want to marry Bella," I sighed.

Her head shot up. I had her full attention now. "Bella? The girl you met at school? The actress you've always been a fan of?"

Yes, that one, mother. Thank you for pointing out just _that_. "Yes. The girl I've known for just a week or so."

"And they say you want to marry her?"

"Yes."

"What's so wrong with that, sweetie?"

_Excuse me?_ "What's so wrong with that? What's so wrong with that? I barely know the girl! We aren't even friends, yet!" I yelled.

I thought family was to be supportive or shit, but no…I got unlucky…my family is full of gypsies. _So much for the family_.

My mother shot me a 'calm down, no need to raise your voice' look before she spoke. "Love at first sight happens, Edward. I can tell, because I experienced it. When I saw your father, I knew he was the one. He was my haven, my forever, and he's been so to this date."

"Sure it happens, but that doesn't mean it's happened to _me_."

"Edward, I think you're just scared. Anyway, that Bella seems like a nice girl. You should be happy."

"Happy about what?"

"Honey, we will continue this conversation elsewhere, okay? Right now, we're in a public supermarket and I have to finish up some things at Sarah's house."

I huffed and followed her out to the counters.

"Can you get your sisters? They're probably at the magazine stand reading those pieces of gossip about you."

I nodded. "Even if you agree with Chris and Hon on the Bella topic, Mom, will you please ask them to stop being so straightforward at times? They won't listen to me."

"I will, sweetheart, but you have to know they love and care for you. They don't mean any ill."

"I know, but that doesn't change anything."

"Just go get them, Edward," my mother sighed.

Great.

* * *

_**The Cullens and Swans buy Whole Foods**_

_People who went shopping at Whole Foods Market at the Grove this Friday afternoon got the chance to meet not one, but a legion of celebrities while doing groceries._

_Actor Charlie Swan was seen out and about with his two daughters Bella, 18, and Maya, 15, as well as interior designer and much renowned artist Esme Platt with her children Edward, 19, and the twins Christina and Honor Rose Cullen, 15._

_According to several onlookers, Bella and Edward coincidentally ran into one another in the store and talked for many minutes. Bella even got to meet Edward's sisters. Bella and Edward both attend The Children of Hollywood School and are in the same year._

_After doing groceries, Charlie took his daughters to the movies at the nearby Pacific Theatre at The Grove. Esme and her kids were seen at the house of Sarah Mustang, for who, an inside source has revealed, Esme is currently working on a new interior design._

* * *

**_The Parent Trap_(the 1998 version with Lindsay Lohan) is one of my favorite childhood movies. Also, despite all the trials and all, I think Lindsay is a phenomenal actress. Playing two girls at once in your first big role at twelve years old? Respect. Her portrayals in films such as _Bobby_, _A Prairie Home Companion_ and _Georgia Rule are_ terrific as well, I'm of the opinion at least.**

**_Heterochromia iridum_ means the irises of the eyes are different from one another(complete heterochromia) or a part of the iris differs from its remainder(partial/central heterochromia). I've always envisioned Christina and Honor Rose to have slightly different eye colors, but as identical twins, this is genetically impossible. So, I did some research and stumbled upon this. I didn't want to come up with some phenomenon myself, so I decided to use partial heterochromia, but than a bit different. Does this make sense?**  
**If you are a bit flabbergasted, Google could be of great help for more information.**


	4. Something In The Air

**Hollywood Kids: Children of L.A. Land  
**Chapter 4: Something In The Air

**Beta'd by _With The What Now_. **

**For those who (have) read Dating Fame, chapter 23 is coming along and I hope to have it up soon.**

**Disclaimer: Twilight, not mine. **

* * *

The following Sunday, after having attended an audition at a director's house in Venice with a bunch of other actors, I caught myself wandering in the direction of where I believed Edward's house to be.

I had nothing better to do today; no homework, no lines to learn, no appointments. Besides, I was really curious to know where he lived.

I really hoped I wasn't mistaken and wasn't going to make a fool out of myself by ringing the wrong house, though.

_Just turn around and go home, Bella. It's for the best, _my safe-playing part said, while my heart told me I should just go with what I wanted. There was nothing wrong with being impulsive and taking risks at times.

While having an inner-monologue, I hadn't noticed I'd come to stop in a street that seemed quite familiar.

Edward had showed me a little piece of this documentary on his phone he'd made with a bunch of other kids living in his street while they were skateboarding and driving their BMX bikes and such across the pavement.

This street seemed like the very same as the one he'd showed me.

Although American cities and towns were filled with street after street looking exactly the same, Venice was such a neighborhood where every street was unique.

_Thank God._

Tentatively, I walked past the houses in search of the right one, looking for any resemblance of Edward's house.

And then…there it was.

1104, a two-story, relatively large house for the neighborhood, with a wide front yard and porch. The panel-wood outlook was painted white.

As I walked up to the porch, I peeked through the windows, looking for something that might give away Edward Cullen lived here.

Before I dared to ring the bell, I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down and just get over with it.

_Alright, Bella. Here goes._

I rang the bell, the sound echoing off through the house.

While waiting for the door to be opened, I nervously glanced around the street, looking out for papz who might have followed me. I gnawed on my bottom lip.

The click of a lock getting unlocked made me jump up in surprise, and just after I'd recomposed myself, a beautiful woman, sporting caramel brown hair and hazel-green eyes much alike Edward's sister Christina's opened the door.

"Hi, err…does Edward…Edward Cullen live here?" I stammered.

_What the fuck, Swan? That's like _the_ line for a stalkerish fan girl!_

The woman's eyes narrowed, decreasing the opening of the door. "Who are you?"

"Well…err…I'm Bella Swan. I'm attending the same school as Edward, he's in my class. I was just in the neighborhood, and I'd thought I'd stop by. I hope I'm not bothering you," I rattled, cheeks flushed a bright pink.

Her expression softened immediately upon hearing who I was, a genuine smile spreading across her features.

"Bella, how nice to finally meet you in living life. I've heard so much about you. Come in, come in," she invited me in warmly, stepping aside so I could enter the house.

"Edward lives here, indeed," she laughed as she led me through a corridor with many photo frames gracing the halls. "You didn't know his address?"

"No. I mean, I knew what his street and house looked like, and that he lived on number 1104, but not the name of the street," I confessed.

"Oh, don't you be embarrassed about that. It's Edward's fault. I can't believe he didn't tell you his address. I raised him better than that, or so I thought," she chuckled, looking back at me.

"Also, I'm sorry for my harsh behavior in which I greeted you, but we have to be cautious and hesitant." She stopped walking and turned around to face me, smiling apologetically.

I now noticed how small Edward's mother actually she was. Although she and I didn't differ much, I had expected her to be much taller, taking in the heights of her children.

"Weekly, we get fans ringing the door bell. Many celebrities have fences, gates, security, live in gated communities and what not," she sighed exasperatedly, "but my husband and I have always been repulsive to living like that. Firstly, it attracts only more attention; secondly, we don't want our children growing up feeling like prisoners. The house is supposed to be their haven, no show business allures or anything around," she furthermore explained.

"I understand. My Dad gets to deal with fans like that, too. He's always been very opposed to us living like that as well."

I remembered being a child, opening the door for a complete stranger who started to take pictures at high speed. It scared the shit out of me.

Yes, bodyguards, fences or gated communities might have prevented me from having to go through those experiences, but I was thankful Charlie never succumbed to such measures. Our indoor-life was peaceful and normal.

"Yeah, Edward mentioned that. Your mother was Renee Barry right?"

That surprised me. Never before had someone asked me if I was my mother's daughter…it had always been 'daughter of Charlie Swan'.

"You knew her?" I asked, swallowing away the lump in my throat that automatically would form whenever my Mom was mentioned.

"Yeah, we worked on a job together," she nodded, smiling. "She was truly an amazing woman."

Esme led me through the kitchen at the back of the house, and we stepped out into the huge backyard of the Cullens.

"Oh God, I haven't even properly introduced myself!" Esme exclaimed. "I'm Esme Platt, Esme Cullen-Platt, Esme Cullen…whichever you prefer…Edward's mother. He's told me so much about you, it's like I've known you for years."

I hadn't even taken notice. I knew what Esme looked like, what a mother she was like. For me, too, it felt like I'd known her for a longer time. It didn't weird me out being around her. "I figured already. It doesn't matter, by the way."

"Have a seat, grab a drink. I'll go get Edward. He's in his room, working on his music."

"Thanks."

Esme disappeared back into the house.

I looked around the wide, peaceful space.

It didn't take long before I spotted two black Labradors watching me suspiciously from their spot in the back corner.

I slowly went to sit down on one of the loungers, still feeling a little awkward surrounded by nothing but new surroundings.

"Bella!" Edward beamed from behind me, and I turned around to take him in as he strode through the French doors into the yard while looking his hotfuck self in low-hanging sweatpants and black tee, going barefoot.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, surprise coloring his voice, as he went to sit down on the lounger opposite mine.

"Paying you a visit," I shrugged.

His smile grew wider.

"I'll go call for the girls," Esme said, after having looked back and forth between us.

Edward looked away from me, to the dogs, and chuckled.

"What?"

"There are some very suspicious dogs." He turned to the dogs. "Niké, Pandora, come over here. There's someone I'd like you to meet," he called out to them.

The dogs immediately obeyed and came running up to him, pushing against his side.

"Wow, they're beautiful, Edward."

"Yeah, they are, aren't they?" he nearly whispered, in awe, as he watched his dogs.

"Tell me about them," I pleaded, desperate to hear his voice.

He tore away his gaze from the dogs, smiling up at me in that blinding way.

Luckily for my intellectual powers, I was wearing my vintage Ray Bans now, so his crooked smile couldn't have its full effect on me.

"Well, you already know they're named Niké and Pandora," he started.

During one of our conversations, the topic concerning pets had come up as well. I'd told him about my shepherd dog Pantalaimon "Pan", my best buddy; he'd told me about his two black Lab retrievers. We hadn't gotten the opportunity to go into detail, as the teacher had then called to our attention.

"Niké is named after the Greek goddess of victory, and we got her from a shelter when my parents decided a pet-friend would do me good. I was seven. The moment I saw her…I felt this connection with her," Edward explained, moving his hands through Niké's neck hair.

"We got Pandora six years later, when I was thirteen, a few months before…you know…," he bowed his head, not wanting to speak out the words.

He didn't need to. I understood what he meant.

I knew how much it meant to him, how honored he felt when he won an Oscar for Leading Actor at the age of thirteen, but it had also brought him a lot of unwanted pressure, unwanted attention that he'd found hard to deal with.

To reassure him, let him know I understood, I carefully lay my hand on his bicep, giving it a light squeeze before retreating back to my former spot.

Edward smiled up at me thankfully, and I gave him a warm smile back.

"We were visiting Dad on set of a project of his in the San Francisco area. The twins and I went out to get something to eat and go window-shopping, when we stumbled upon this old lady who was struggling with a bunch of animal boxes," he went on.

"We offered to help her, and she told us she was about to bring her dogs to a shelter, since she wasn't able to take care of them anymore. As we helped her settle in the dogs, our eye fell on one of the pups….it was the smallest, curled up in itself, looking so fragile. But when it opened its eyes, they were full of wisdom…we were next day, we asked Mum to come to the shelter with us. An hour later, Pandora was ours."

"Wow, that's some story," I breathed out as he was finished.

"It sure is," Edward agreed.

"How old are they now?"

"Pandora is six, Ni is twelve. Despite Labs having a life span of about ten to thirteen years, Niké is surprisingly fit and healthy for her age. I hope she will continue like that for at least a while longer."

He bent his head so he could give Niké's head a kiss.

Just then, Esme announced lunch was ready and called for Edward to help her set the table.

I followed him into the kitchen, asking Esme if there was anything I could help them with.

"Oh no, it isn't that much of a task, but thank you anyway, Isabella," Esme smiled warmly.

Lunch consisted of a platter filled with delicious-looking sandwiches, cold pasta and fruit salads.

Even _if_ I hadn't been hungry before, I spontaneously would have been now by just looking at lunch.

Just before we were about to dive in, Christina and Honor Rose walked through the doors and joined us, sitting down opposite me and Edward, with Esme at the head of the table.

The twins, dressed in track shorts and tees from a movie they'd done together, stared at Edward and me before sharing a look.

Carlisle Cullen, the patriarch of the family and multi-award winning cinematographer, was absent for the day as he was working on a new project of his.

A few minutes into lunch, after small talk was made between me and Edward's family, the twins suddenly fell into laughter as they remembered something.

"Bella, you wanna know what Edward's reaction was when he heard you'd come to pay him a visit?"

I glanced at Edward, who'd stopped eating mid-chew and glared at his sisters, trying to silence them with his look.

They didn't notice, or simply choose to ignore their brother's silent treat as they went on excitingly.

"Err…well…" I stammered.

"_What_? Bella's here? _Bella_'s here? Really?" they mimicked their brother, putting up an overly-excited tone.

"Mum, you said you would talk to them," Edward spoke lowly to his mother.

"Honey, relax," Esme said, putting a hand on his arm. "They are only making fun of you."

Edward humphed and set his eyes on his plate.

"Ow!" Christina cried out not much later, pulling up her leg and rubbing a spot on her calf.

"Goddamn, what the fuck?" Honor Rose followed.

I looked to Edward, just in time to see him containing a devilish smirk.

"Seriously, Ed?" Honor Rose glared at her brother.

Edward's eyes widened in faux surprise. "What? I didn't do anything."

"Oh yes, you did. You kicked us underneath the table. Pussy."

"Chicken," he shot back.

"Darlings, quit the shit and let us eat in peace," Esme summoned her children.

"Amen."

"Edward Anthony."

"Yes, mother dear?"

"No mocking."

After having finished lunch and having put away all the dirty dishes and leftovers, Christina and Honor Rose stove to the living room to 'unleash their inner rock stars' playing Guitar Hero.

They asked us to join them, but Edward declined saying he was still angry at them and would kick their ass anyway, which would lead in some childish behaviour from the girls.

Besides, he didn't want to spend his time with me surrounded by his over eager sisters who might be a little too passionate playing the game.

As he steered me out of the living room, my eye fell on a set of three photos hanging on the wall next to the flat screen.

The middle one was very static, with who assumed were Christina, Edward and Honor Rose looking straight in the camera with a neutral look; the other two were of them in front of the same background, wearing the same clothes, but they were laughing now.

"What are these?" I asked Edward.

"Oh, that's Chris, me and Honor Rose. We did a shoot for Burberry Prorsum a couple of months ago. The middle one is the official ad, the other two are taken in between shots."

"You're a regular Burberry model, right?" I said, remembering having seen Burberry ads featuring him before.

"Yeah. I'm by no means a model, but Burberry approached me a few years ago. I like the image they represent and their clothes are very comfortable and nice. I thought 'why the hell not?' Chris and Hon joined the group last year."

"They're beautiful. When will they be on display?"

"Somewhere in May, I believe."

Throwing one last look at the sizzling Burberry Prorsum ad of the Cullen children, I let Edward pull me out of the living room into the corridor.

He led me to his room, putting on a CD the minute he walked in. I went to sit down in his window nook while he laid down on his bed.

For a while we stayed silent, listening to Kings of Leon blazing through his stereo.

Sometimes, we muttered how much we liked a particular song or chorus or verse, but for the most part we just listened.

Edward was the first to break the silence and really initiate a conversation. "How did the audition go?"

"It went alright. We'd all been cast separately, so this coming together was meant to test our mutual chemistry. I'm excited to get to work. It's just a small part, I die about twenty minutes in the story, but it's meaningful and has a lot of depth. I can bring a lot to my character."

That was most important to me, that I felt I could bring something to a character.

"When will principal filming begin?"

"They scheduled my scenes in between our finals and graduation, which is nice, so I can really put my mind off school and dive into my character. I couldn't sit at home all day, worrying about my results and graduation."

"You shouldn't worry about that. Your grades are pretty solid and I'm sure you will graduate with basically straight As only."

"Thank you," I smiled, showing him how much it meant he had so much confidence in me.

As the days progressed, so did Edward and my bond. We spent much time together, either talking or watching films, listening to music and what not.

I invited him over at my place for dinner one evening, after his soccer practice. We had the house to ourselves; Maya was filming on location and Charlie was visiting a friend.

We cooked dinner together, the soft tones from Debussy and the occasional chopping and stirring the only sounds filling the room. Cooking had always been a sort of therapy to me. It always set my mind to rest. I was just being. No thoughts, no worries. It was very liberating.

Afterwards, we watched a movie we'd both had been dying to see and then went on to look up trailers of both our upcoming movies, sharing our thoughts and on-set stories.

As he drove off in his Volvo later that night, I realized that I couldn't wait till morning, when I would see him again.

* * *

**Niké is my favourite goddess in Greek and Roman mythology, and I love the ring of it. Also, there's this beautiful, _beautiful_ marble sculpture of her at the Louvre in Paris, at the top of the Daru stairs. When you're in the neighbourhood, you should definitely check it out. It's dashing, I'm of the opinion.**

**And don't let me start about Guitar Hero. I might be a little addicted, to put it mildly. And be quite passionate. **

Playlist  
~ Death Cab for Cutie – Plans  
~Sky Ferreira – ONE  
~This Will Destroy You - They Move on Tracks of Never-Ending Light(LISTEN TO IT)  
and probably many more.


	5. INNOUT

**Hollywood Kids: Children of L.A. Land  
**chapter 5: IN-N-OUT

**Beta'd by the amazing _With The What Now._**

**For those reading Dating Fame, chapter 24 is coming along. I hope to have it up in a month's time. Hollywood Kids chapter 6 will probably take less. Just needs some polishing. Gotta run to class now.**

**Disclaimer: Twilight, not mine. Stephenie Meyers owns it.**

* * *

Maya and I had been invited to a party thrown by TOMS on Sunday, since we were such avid wearers and weren't shy of dropping its name in interviews, simply because we loved the brand.

We both put on our favorite pair and a dress we'd been sent by Burberry, another brand we were great fans of. Maya and I had been invited to one of their shows during London Fashion Week once, when we were filming on location in London, and it was absolutely amazing. I didn't really do fashion weeks, but that show…that was beyond my expectations. Getting to meet the ingenious man behind the brand was pretty cool, too. Our blazers were our own.

Charlie lingered on the curb as Maya and I stepped in my car, eyeing the gathered paparazzi like a hawk. I was glad for that, because I really wasn't in the mood for their blinding flashes, screams and near harassment today.

Once in the car, I turned the music nearly as loud as possible, not being in the mood to talk. It gave me a very soothing and relaxing feeling when the music simply made it impossible to do anything but listen, blocking and drowning out everything else.

Edward Cullen was on my mind constantly, and I didn't know what to think of it. Naming him my friend didn't sound right, as we'd only known each other for a week or two, but I also couldn't deny the intense and crackling chemistry I felt between us; the way he was able to get under my skin in a second, how well he knew me without me needing to utter a single word.

I was attracted to him, that's for sure, but I couldn't…didn't want to…think about the consequences if I let myself get carried away.

I couldn't use another intense, unpredictable, heartbreaking thing. I was in a desperate need of safety and peace. Call it boring if you wish, but at least I knew what to expect. After years of soul-searching and teenage struggles, I finally felt like getting back on track.

Getting into a relationship with Edward Cullen,_ if_ it would come to that eventually, would pose an enormous risk to my well-being. Given our circumstances and history, it was highly likely our relationship wouldn't last. _That_ would destroy all that I'd worked on over the years in an instant. I wouldn't be able to cope with it.

Maya looked at me strangely, and I knew she'd picked up more than I would like her to, but she understood and stayed silent, letting the song currently playing, This Will Destroy You's epic and intoxicating _They Move on Tracks of Never-Ending Light_, overtake her as she looked out of the window.

Once we'd arrived at the party, we posed for a couple of pictures on the laid-out red carpet before we hopped in.

"Bell, you know you didn't have to come, right? I wouldn't have minded," Maya said as we stood on the balcony, overlooking our hometown.

I turned to my sister and smiled. "I'm sorry. I'm just a bit on edge, you know. I wouldn't have wanted to miss out on this party, though, and we were definitely in need of some good sister time."

"Yeah," my sister smiled, leaning in to give me a peck on the cheek before retreating to her spot against the railing.

We were both silent for a little while.

"You know, I was thinking…maybe we could go catch a movie this Wednesday. Dad will be out for dinner with some movie people," Maya proposed, breaking the silence.

"That would be great. You gonna come to his appearance on Leno in two days?"

"You?"

"Hell yes. Leno is fun. As is watching Dad doing his thing on talk shows."

Dad did _not_ like doing press rounds for new projects. Award shows and premieres weren't his thing either. He never said much. Why he wanted to pursue an acting career in Hollywood had been beyond me, until he told me he just wanted to act and as long as he was able to do so, he took everything else for granted. Charlie had eased up a little, after over twenty years in the bizz, but he was still wary of the press. Leno, though, had become a great friend of his, so whenever Dad appeared on his show, it was always casual.

"I know, right," Maya chuckled. "I'm going, too. Dad will probably make me bring my homework, though," she ended with a groan.

"Shoot, he probably will make me, too, with me being in my senior year and all."

"Dad's weird," Maya laughed.

"Sure as hell is."

We stared at the city buzzing with life beneath us for a couple of minutes before we decided to be social and enjoy the party.

Maya being Maya demanded we check out the food first. If the food wasn't good, the party wasn't good. Even if your best friend threw it.

Her mantra, not mine. She was really weird that way. Stubborn, too.

While I was making my way through the crowd, I felt the hair on my bare under arms stand up, and a chill spread through my body.

From experience, I knew this feeling always came with a certain person, but I dismissed the thought.

It couldn't be.

_If_ he was on the invite list, he would have at least told me. He hadn't. He hadn't said anything about a TOMS party he was attending this weekend. He _had_ mentioned, however, that his sisters would. Why would he mention them going and not himself if he would go too?

_God, why do I always manage to bring back every sound, every conversation, every feeling to him? _

I shook my head to clear my thoughts and followed Maya to the food table.

A woman blocked my sister's way, who automatically stepped back, halting me in my steps as I nearly bumped into her.

"Excuse me, Bella and Maya Swan, isn't it?" the woman said in a too sweet voice, shoving a microphone in our faces as she motioned a camera to zoom in on our outfits and make-up. Not that we wore any make-up apart from a little mascara and eye liner, which was already way out of my comfort zone.

_Isn't it. _

I hated that line. As if she didn't know who we were. Jeez, couldn't people come up with a better opening line? Seriously? Was it really that hard?

'Cause, let me tell you: pretending you don't know me, that's _the_ throw-off.

I would have told her just that, weren't it that I didn't want to cause a scene. Not here.

I loved TOMS and I wanted to help as much as I could with spreading the word about the fuckawesome shoes and its good cause. Also, the founder was a really cool guy and I didn't want to insult him by yelling at the invited media.

Maya must have noticed my boiling annoyance and placed a hand on my shoulder, making us a unit. A unit you should not mess with.

She put on her sweet smile. "Yep, that would be us."

"May I ask you what you are wearing?"

"We're both wearing dresses by Burberry. Bell got her blazer from Urban Outfitters, it's Silence and Noise. Mine is River Island**. **The slip-ons are, of course, TOMS," Maya answered cheerfully.

The woman looked back at me and I smiled at her sweetly. Luckily, she'd spotted a new target and left.

"Phew, thank God for that, May."

"No worries. Just performing my sister duties."

_Sister duties._ It was something she took very, very seriously. She might be just fifteen, but _boy_, if she witnessed somebody angering or annoying or hurting me…Maya would turn into this merciless wild cat, who took no prisoners.

She held onto my arm as we went to check out the food.

"So, does it meet up to your standards?" I asked her as she took a bite out of a sandwich.

Maya nodded eagerly. "Abso-fucking-lutely," she mumbled in between bites.

I rolled my eyes at her as I ate my own food.

From the direction of the red carpet I heard cheers and screams erupting, and I gathered a new famous person had arrived.

Maya stood up on her tiptoes to see who it was. "I can't see. Being short sucks," she said.

After having eaten from all the food that appealed to us, we mingled with the other attendees. Luckily, I spotted the daughter of the actor who played Charlie's sidekick on _Chief Burke_, with whom he'd become the closest of friends. The man also happened to be my godfather.

Maya and I chatted with her for a while before her phone started ringing and she excused herself.

We stood by ourselves, my sister showing me pictures on her phone she'd recently made during her photography class. Her shots were really very beautiful and unique.

"Hi," two voices said in unison, coming from behind us.

I turned around to be met by…Christina and Honor Rose Cullen. _Of course._

Both were decked out in TOMS, Christina wearing hers with a bohemian-ish dress, Honor Rose pairing them with a playsuit.

"Do you say everything in unison?" I quipped.

"No. Not everything."

"But pretty much…everything, yeah," Christina added.

"Only when we're together after having spending not much time together. We're in different home classes and share just one subject together, so…" Honor Rose rambled on.

"Honor, Bella just asked us a simple question and you go all out on her," Christina chastised her sister.

Honor Rose bit her lip and ducked her head in embarrassment. "Sorry. I just… you know, I wanted to make it clear."

"Hon, all you do is make it more complicated."

"Ehm…," Maya and I said.

Christina and Honor Rose's heads shot up. "Shit, sorry. We tend to zone out. Anyhoo, nice to meet you again. Hi, Maya."

The moment Maya was sure I was friendly with Edward, she'd not only sent _him_ a friend request on Facebook, but his sisters also. The three of them really hit it off, and the twins had even come to visit Maya on the set of her film. Maya, on the other hand, had come to watch a movie at their place a couple of times.

"Hey," Maya greeted them.

"What TOMS have you got?" Christina asked.

"A bunch. Bella and I share."

I gave her a look. I did _not_ share my TOMS.

"Well, I _steal_ her TOMS sometimes…rarely."

While Christina and Maya were in conversation, I noticed Honor was rather absent from the talk, looking between the entrance doors, the hallway to the restrooms and her phone.

She sighed deeply before starting to press down on her phone keys.

Christina noticed, too and leaned in to say "And?"

"In a minute," Honor answered, shooting me a quick glance.

I zoned out for a little while, before Maya broke me out of my reveries, timidly asking "Is it okay if I go out with the twins?"

"Sure, have fun. I'll just mingle a bit."

Christina and Honor Rose shared a look, their lips pulling up in a smile before they followed Maya.

I was just about to make my way to a girl I'd done one of my earliest movies with, when I felt that tingling feeling again.

"Hey," _his _voice came from behind me, whispering in my ear.

_Fuuuuuuuuuuck_.

I swirled around to be met by Mr. Hot Fuck himself, looking at me with an amused look playing in his Emerald green eyes.

"Edward!" I squealed and impulsively threw my arms around him.

"Whoa, that's some welcome," he chuckled as he hugged me back.

"What are you doing here? You should have me told you were coming, too! We could have gone together! Some friend you are!" I accused him, pulling back so I could slap him in his chest.

"Ow." He rubbed the spot I'd hit him.

I gave him a don't-mess-with-me look after which he hastily dropped his hand, drawing me in his side instead.

"Bella, Bella, Bella, why do you think so lowly of me? I _would_ have told you, would I have known I was going to this party the last time I saw you. And for the record, it would have been a great idea to go together. I would have loved that. Weren't it that a friend of my sisters' bailed last minute, leaving them with an invitation," he explained.

"So, you volunteered for the spot?"

"_What_? _No_!" he half-yelled, looking around. "Isabella," Edward whispered, his lips in my hair, sending shivers all over my body which I tried to suppress with all I had. "You should know that when it comes down to my sisters and their bizarre-as-shit wishes and commands, I never, _ever_ do something voluntarily. I've too much pride for that."

"How come you're here then?" I asked, looking up at him.

As he looked down at me, a lock of his untamable hair fell in his face. I stroked it out of his eyes. He smiled at me genuinely.

"Well, the little devils bribed me."

"_Bribed_ you? Edward! I thought you just said you've got too much pride," I laughed.

Edward growled, trying to muffle my laughs by pulling me flush against his chest. "Not funny. You don't know what evil tricks they can pull."

"Dude, you're an award winning actor. Couldn't you, like, put on an act, pretend as if you were super pissed at them? They would be mush in your hands. I know they love you too much to stand seeing you being angry at them."

"If only it were that simple. Didn't I tell you those minks see right through me? They know when I'm faking it and when I'm being dead-serious."

"What did they bribe you with then, that made you give in to their demand?"

He sighed, looking away while biting on the inside of his cheek. Which I found sexy as hell. "I said I only would come with if they would stop bothering me."

"Bother you with what?"

His answer came too quick. Too quick to be true, or entirely true at least. There was more to it. "Gypsy talk."

"Edward."

He ducked his head.

"Hey." I placed my hand on his jaw and lifted up his head, so I could look in his eyes again, telling him without opening my mouth that he could trust me, that I was there for him.

Edward took a deep breath, breathing out loudly. "They've been making fun of me…" silence. "and you."

_Huh? That_, I hadn't expected.

"What about us?"

"It's stupid anyway. You don't have to hear it. You don't _want_ to hear it."

I read in his eyes this was all he was going to share about it, for now. I decided to put this information away for future use, and changed subjects.

"You had to be bribed to go here. Didn't you want to see me?" I said, putting on a pout.

His eyes momentarily grew dark, but after a blink the look was already gone, and I wondered if I hadn't just imagined it.

"Of course I wanted to see you! But they didn't have to know that," he smirked.

I had to laugh about that and hugged him close to me once more.

We sought out our sisters and joined them for a game of Guitar Hero set out in a corner of the room.

True to his word, Christina and Honor Rose tended to become quite passionate once they begun playing. But so did Edward.

He totally went into it, not just standing there while playing the game but showing off some serious rock star moves.

It was great to see him so carefree, without worries and be so passionate about something. It warmed my heart, and once more, I was immensely grateful for the fact I could bask in his presence.

"Liking your shoes, Mr. Cullen. That's a first time I've seen you in TOMS," I smirked as we took a break from the game, and only now seeing Edward's choice of footwear, although I shouldn't have been surprised. We were at a TOMS party after all.

"You making fun of my TOMS? For the record, I've had them for a long time already. I didn't just run to Fred Segal to get me a pair this morning."

"_Sure_ you didn't," I shrugged, turning around and pretending to walk away from him. I bit my lip to prevent myself from falling in a fit of laughter.

"Isabella," he growled, pulling me back so I faced him again.

I simply stuck my tongue out at him. "If you'll excuse me, I'm off to talk to the establisher of this brand. See you."

After the party, the five of us drove up to the nearest IN-N-OUT for dinner.

The young woman behind the counter turned into a stuttered mess as she recognized us, her eyes nearly popping out, but she managed to stay professional and even apologized. We smiled at her in appreciation.

Our sisters had already picked out a table and as soon as we were all set, we dived into our burgers and French fries while talking animatedly about random stuff.

Edward asked Honor Rose for a pen from her clutch – she loved to write and therefore always carried something to write with – and scrabbled down his autograph. He then went back to the counter and handed the napkin to the girl.

We all looked at him in surprise and awe.

"What?" he said, as he took his seat again.

"You're amazing, Edward Cullen," I said, touched by his move, turning my body in the booth so I was facing him and moved my hand through his hair. I couldn't stop myself.

He ducked his head, not knowing what to say, and gave me a small, but genuine and soul-reaching smile in thanks.

"Their music is great," Edward said softly as he stood by my car as I was about to drive off the parking lot after we'd finished dinner.

"Sorry?"

"This Will Destroy You? They're great," he said, motioning to my car radio, which was already back to playing the band's self-titled album.

"You know them?" Not many did. Edward and I had talked a lot about music, our favorite bands, musicians, albums, songs…but This Will Destroy You had never come up.

He smiled widely. "Sure do."

"I really love them. Their music always manages to calm and soothe me. It goes straight to the core, you know."

He nodded, agreeing with me. "Yeah. Listening to them erases all my thoughts and makes me able to focus, and forget for a while sometimes."

We were snapped out of our bubble by my sister. "Hey guys, I don't want to interrupt you or something, but they found us."

Edward and I snapped our heads in the direction Maya was directing to, and sure, a couple of SUVS circled the parking lot, paparazzi hanging from the windows snapping away at high speed.

Edward's face turned rigid, sporting a scowl. "Fucking awesome. Take care. Err, I really had a great time."

"We did, too. We should do this more often," I retorted, speaking for both Maya and myself.

"Absolutely. See you tomorrow, at school. Bye Maya, it was nice meeting you again," Edward concluded, giving my sister a wave before he raced to his beat-up silver Volvo – it was quite a fancy and new car, but Edward had really made it his own. He owned it.

The twins waved to us from the backseat as Edward and I drove our cars off the lot, two kindred spirits going separate ways.

* * *

_**Cullen and Swan siblings enjoy IN-N-OUT Burger**_

_Siblings **Edward**, 19 and twins **Christina** and **Honor Rose Cullen**, 15, and sisters **Bella**, 18, and **Maya Swan**, 15, leave an IN-N-OUT Burger in Culver City, CA on Sunday evening, while trying their best to tune out the gathered paparazzi as they drove off the parking lot._

_The group of five enjoyed burgers and fries at the burger joint, after having attended an exclusive TOMS party in Santa Monica earlier in the day. According to a customer, they were described as 'seeming to have a great time'._

_Edward and Bella both attend the Children of Hollywood School, and have been spending quite some time together for the past weeks since Bella's enrollment into the private school early this month. Is love in the air?_

_Bella's film **Love You More** will be out in early April, with Edward's Sundance hit **Silent Garden **hitting selected theatres later that month. Honor Rose's period piece **English Rose Gardens** has just been given a 30 April US release date, with a UK release on 23 April following its world premiere in London._

* * *

**What are you thinking? Who/what gave Bella that first tingling feeling? Was it just her imagination or...? What was Honor Rose doing on her phone? Why was she glancing across the room?**

**Play list:  
****~This Will Destroy You – They Move on Tracks of Never-Ending Light  
****~This Will Destroy You – Freedom Blade  
****~This Will Destroy You – Leather Wings**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hollywood Kids: Children of L.A. Land  
**chapter 6

**Beta'd by _With The What Now. _She rocks.**

**Has it been over four months already since the last chapter? Holy moly. Sorry for the wait. Crazy times it have been. Graduation, moving to London, settling into my job as an au pair. Going away on a two-week holiday to France tomorrow, with my birthday on Monday. Lots of Hollywood Kids material written. I just need the time and peace to sort it all out.**

**This chapter hasn't got a title, yet, 'cos I couldn't come up with a good one. Once I've got one, I'll put it in.**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and its characters.**

**Just to maybe make it all clear. This chapter starts off on Monday, the day after chapter 5 left off. It's been three weeks since Bella's enrollment.**

* * *

As I awoke on Monday morning, I couldn't wait to get to school, but not because I was eager to spend the majority of my day sitting in a class room having to listen to teacher after teacher.

No. I was eager to get to school all because of some boy. Well, not just _any_ boy. _Edward_.

Edward wasn't just 'some boy' to me. He was, for lack of a better word, special.

Although I'd only known him for two weeks, I felt a connection with him, a connection I'd never felt with someone before.

Ever since my mother's death, I used to pass through life without giving it much thought. I lived, I breathed, I laughed, I had fun, I cried, I screamed. But the spark that was once alight in me, was now but a small, flickering light about to be blown out by the softest whisper of wind. I wasn't depressed or unhappy, per se. There just wasn't much to my life.

I _loved_ spending time with my family, I _loved_ working on films, _loved_ acting. They were what I lived for.

I never had any friends. I hung out with people, I had fun with people. But they weren't really my _friends_. I didn't tell them everything… they didn't feel like a safe haven.

I'd found my safe haven, now, though, in Edward. Automatically I felt safe with him. I _trusted_ him. Trusting someone that quick was rare for me, given my status and past. Labeling Edward as my friend didn't sound right, but it had to do. I didn't know what else to call him.

For now, I just wanted to enjoy the time I got to spend in his company and not worry about any outcome.

Screw what other people thought, what the media made up.

I dressed hastily, moving onto the beat of Vampire Weekend's album Contra.

Without giving it much thought, I grasped a faded burgundy red Mariners tee – Charlie was an avid supporter, and they were his favorite baseball team, with him being from Washington and all. On my way out, I reached for my Ray Bans and backpack.

Maya picked up on my chipper mood as I moved around the kitchen fetching myself a glass of orange juice, but I gave her a silencing look motioning to Charlie, who was oblivious to our little exchange while making grilled sandwiches.

Today, my sister was to go with the school bus, as it was one of her friends' birthday and she wanted to surprise her.

Charlie accompanied her to the bus stop, peeking into the bus with a worried look, searching for some kids who might be nasty to his youngest daughter.

I rolled my eyes at him as I got into my car.

On my way to school, I sang along to Kings of Leon playing on my iPod over the car stereo at the top of my lungs, still high on the excitement of getting to spend another day in Edward's presence and high on the too awesome for words music. God, did I love those guys.

As I drove onto the school lot, I saw Edward's Volvo was already there.

It didn't surprise me.

For one, he'd the habit of driving like a speed maniac; two, he lived practically around the corner, especially compared to me. Our school was situated in between Malibu and Santa Monica, and Venice was the neighbor of the latter.

A smile lit up my face involuntarily as I walked into my first period English class room to find him already seated.

The final bell hadn't rung yet, so he was still listening to his iPod, his head bopping and his fingers drumming onto the rhythm and beat.

He was wearing his beanie again. _Me_ _liked_.

Edward with his black beanie? _God_.

"Hey there," I greeted him, punching his shoulder softly.

His gaze snapped away from the direction he'd been staring in, a smile lighting up his face the moment he noticed it was me. "Swan," he retorted, his voice warm. "Had a nice weekend?"

I chuckled. "Edward, we saw each other only yesterday."

"I know, but the Sunday blues can make you think of your weekend differently," he said with a straight face.

The _what_?! "The Sunday blues?"

"Yeah. You never heard of it? It's like when the dooming approach of school hits you real hard and you only have a couple hours left of your weekend instead of two whole days."

"Is that a word one of your sisters came up with, maybe?"

"Yes, Honor Rose did. How did you…?"

"Dude, your sisters are really one of a kind. As is their vocabulary."

"So, if they're one of a kind, am I one of a kind, too? I mean, I guess… I hope you'd rather spend time with _me_ than with them."

"Jesus, Cullen. You being both arrogant and insecure at once is giving me a headache, man."

"Miss Swan, if you would be so kind as to be quiet so I can start with my class," Mrs. Wood called for attention.

I looked around to see everyone was already seated with their books out, their eyes in my direction.

_Great_.

* * *

I walked into the cafeteria to find Edward already seated. He waved at me and I held up my hand, motioning to the food bar, telling him I would be just a minute.

It was raining. A rarity in ever-sunny LA.

While waiting in line, I glanced back at Edward.

Two guys, one olive-skinned and one with skin the color of sand, had stopped at the table Edward was sitting at, and were in casual conversation with him.

They seemed familiar to me, and I knew I'd seen them walking through the corridors occasionally.

Eleazar Tacoma and Benjamin Ravi.

Eleazar, son of a famous Hispanic talk show hostess, he himself playing in a band while frequently taking on acting jobs on the side, was in my History class. Benjamin, the son of one of Hollywood's big-shot producers, Amun Ravi, was in my homeclass.

I had to look away from their exchange when it was my turn to pay. Tentatively, I walked up to the table, not wanting to disturb them.

When I was almost there, I halted. What the fuck was I to do? Wait till they had finished their conversation or just go and plant my ass on a seat?

Edward saved me. "Isabella," he drawled out, motioning for me to sit down by waving me with his hand.

I blinked my eyes, dazed by the sound of him calling me by my full name. I hated it when people called me like that, it was as if they chastised me. I always found Bella suited me better. Charlie only ever called me Isabella when I was in trouble.

When Edward said it, though…Jesus, how could someone's fucking _voice_ have such an effect on me?

_He_ could call me Isabella anytime he wanted.

"Swan? You okay?" his voice broke through my inner-monologue.

Oh fuck. I'd zoned out again, hadn't I?

I realized Edward was looking at me worriedly, as were Eleazar and Benjamin.

Jeez, they must think I'm fucking bonkers, for sure.

"Yeah, I'm okay," I stuttered, taking a seat next to Edward. "Sorry, I just zoned for a bit."

Eleazar and Benjamin smiled at me.

"Think about it, okay? You know you rock everyone's socks off," Eleazar turned back to Edward.

Edward nodded vigorously at him. "I will, mate, I will," he promised, before taking a big bite out of his sandwich.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, man. I promise."

"You better," he spoke, pointing a finger at Edward before turning to me. "Nice seeing you, Bella."

"Same here."

I gave them a little, awkward wave. God, I really was a spaz.

"You really okay?" Edward asked as soon as they were out of ear shot.

I nodded, not being able to speak as I was chewing on my sandwich.

"So, what was that all about? Where do they want you to think about?" I asked a moment later.

He didn't answer at first, and I feared I'd gone too far, that it hadn't been my place or business.

Edward must have sensed my embarrassment, for he stilled my fidgeting hands. "You know they can both play, right?"

I nodded.

"They've got a get together with several other young actors who can play once in a while, and they want me to join, too."

"Why did Eleazar want to be sure you would think about it?"

"He knows how hesitant I am about playing with others. Music is an enormous part of my life, and there doesn't pass a day without me working on music, listening to music. But I've never been the one to play with others. It's just not how I work. I mean, I've done it before, and it has been great, but I always go back to where I was. I prefer working on my own."

"So you're not gonna do it?"

"I'm gonna do it."

"Hey Edward, Bella," a chipper voice broke us out of our bubble.

We looked up to see Alice, just as she went to sit down at our table, putting down her tray.

She looked fashionable as ever, but had opted for quite a casual look, compared to her normal attire. Her 7 For All Mankind skinnies were paired with a loose fitting vintage-themed Chanel tee and a black lace jacket. She also wore a pair of sky high silver glittery platform sandals.

Jasper Whitlock was the next to join us, followed by Emmett McCarty.

Ever since we met, Edward and I had spent most of our lunches together, just the two of us, but we were occasionally joined by Alice, Jasper and Emmett.

One day, Alice just came to sit with us without us having spent much time together. If she wouldn't be there at lunch, she was either working on a new collection or catching up on homework she missed out on due to her obligations to her label.

As for Jasper, most of his breaks he spent tutoring a freshman, helping him with history, which was just his thing. He was literally a walking history encyclopedia.

Emmett joined the table a day later, walking into step with me after our Calculus class en route to the cafeteria. He'd never uttered a word to me before, but he behaved as if we'd known each other for ages.

"So, BB, you and my Cullen boy have become good friends, eh?"

"Yeah," I stuttered.

"Cool. You're a cool chick, BB. I like you."

And with that he paid for my lunch and leaded me to our usual table, where Edward and Alice were already seated.

"I see you've met Emmett, Bella," Edward said, shaking his head at one of his best friends.

"Eh, yeah."

"Bella, this is Emmett McCarty. Em, this is Bella Swan. Em usually has some training or another during lunch."

"I know, me and BB have already bonded," Emmett beamed. "And yeah, I'm on the school's baseball team and in the band. Fucking golden. What about you, BB?"

"Em, take it down a notch. You're scaring her away. Don't," Edward glared at him.

"Oh, shit. I did?" He turned to me. "I meant no harm, 'kay?"

"He was dropped on his head as a baby. You can't really blame him."

"I…uhm…I'm not on any team," I answered Emmett's earlier question.

The boys went 'way back' as Edward had once put it. He and Jasper had known each other before they came to this school. They'd seen each other at their worst.

What their 'worst' was, I did not know, although I suspected Edward's might have to do with Honor Rose, as he always had a troubled look in his eyes whenever her name came up.

I wasn't going to push him to come out and tell me. I knew he would when he was ready.

They'd run into Emmett one day at a concert and had become fast friends.

I learned quickly that Jasper Whitlock didn't say much. But he looked, he saw and he noticed. Sometimes, he would jump up in his seat, grab out his tattered notebook and scribble down words or phrases or lyrics furiously. Sometimes, I would catch his gaze and he would smile, understandingly.

It felt as he could see right through you. It scared me at first, but I soon learned he meant no harm and was only looking out for his friends.

Emmett McCarty was the complete opposite of Jasper, loud and ever-present, but he had an eye for detail and a patience that never wavered, which I guess came with him being a model.

I had to warm up to him at first, because his impulsive cut-the-crap mentality scared the living daylight out of me, but then I saw how earnest and caring he was.

They hadn't had an easy life, either. As fucked up as it sounded, I was happy for that. I didn't have to pretend.

It wasn't as if we spilled our beans to each other right then and there, but there was a mutual understanding.

* * *

The next morning, I was just finishing breakfast, when the doorbell rang.

It never rang at this hour, except for when one of us had become of greater interest due to a new role or nomination. There was technically a restraining order to anyone unwanted who rang our door, but that didn't stop really devoted fans. Papz knew they shouldn't step foot on our property.

Charlie wasn't home, he'd left early this morning since he'd an early shoot, so I was a little more hesitant to go and see who it was.

Maya and I looked at each other before I hopped off my breakfast barstool and tentatively walked to the door, opening it cautiously.

To find Edward Cullen standing on my doorstep.


	7. Changing

**Hollywood Kids: Children of L.A. Land  
**chapter 7: Changing

**Beta'd by_ With The What Now. _She's the best. She helped me out big time with this chapter. She also came up with the title, referring to the changes in Bella.**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything Twilight. **

**The past weeks have been super hectic, and I've come to experience writing is quite difficult when being an au pair of little kids. But I'm not abandoning anything! It just takes me a little longer.**

* * *

**Time coverage: Tuesday morning – Thursday evening**

* * *

"Edward, what are you doing here?" I asked, surprise coloring my voice.

"Can I come in?" he asked, looking over his shoulder at a paparazzo who'd just appeared.

"Sure. May and I were just having breakfast."

"Oh, I'm not bothering, am I?"

"No, of course not," I smiled, leading him back to the kitchen where Maya was eating her yoghurt with cereal reading the latest issue of NYLON.

Her eyes widened in surprise as she saw who followed behind me as I entered the kitchen. "Edward. What a most pleasant surprise. How have you been?"

_Eh, Maya, what's with the fucking formality? It's not like you've never met him before._

Edward didn't seem disturbed by my sister's weird choice of words, giving her a smile as he greeted her back. "Hey Maya. I'm good, thanks."

She blushed, looking down at her PJ attire. "I should get changed in time for school."

Wait a sec? _PJ's_.

I looked down at myself, because I would swear I wore…_oh fuck_, why oh why today? Why was I too lazy to put on clothes before breakfast _today_?

Edward seeing me in my baseball shorts and…_fuck_…I wore a _No Longer, No More_ tee. 'Cause that was just my favorite movie, couldn't help it. The fact my favorite actor of all times totally blew everyone off the screen with his stellar performance contributed to the reason why.

And…uhm…that favorite actor? That was Edward. Who won an Oscar for his performance, by the way.

"Uhm, yeah, I'm gonna get changed, too. Wait here, 'kay?"

_Fuck, fuck, fuck. How could I be so stupid? _I internally shouted at myself as I stove up the stairs to my room, grasping a black-and-white graphic print summer dress, dark blue cardigan and Docs from my walk-in closet. I hastily moved a comb through my hair, putting it up in a ponytail, and brushed my teeth in high speed. I pulled my bag from my chair and sprinted to the stairs, taking them two at a time.

As I was about to walk back into the kitchen, I could make out Maya's voice. "So, Edward, what exactly are you doing here?"

_Shit_. She'd already finished dressing up. How long had she been downstairs for?

"I came to pick up Bella for school, because I want to take her somewhere after school."

_Oh, really?_

I didn't know why I stayed put and didn't walk into the kitchen. I guessed I wanted to hear their conversation without my presence interfering.

"Cool. Could I maybe ride with you? It wouldn't be too big a problem for you to drop me off at school, right? My Dad isn't too keen on me taking the school bus, you see. I don't need you to pick me up, because I'm going to work on a project at a friend's."

_Fuck no. Please, Maya. Don't do this to me._

"Sure."

_Please don't let her say embarrassing stuff. Please, let Maya keep her mouth shut._

I made my presence known and got both Maya's and my own lunch, putting it away in our school bags.

Maya was in a chipper mood, matching the bright yellow denim shorts she was wearing with her low-top Converse, tank top and Levi's denim jacket.

We all got into Edward's Volvo, and he sped off.

_Two Weeks_ by Grizzly Bear was playing over his car stereo. It was a great song and I caught myself humming along.

We dropped off Maya at her school, and having said her goodbyes, she ran off to meet one of her friends before heading inside.

"You and Maya are quite close, aren't you?" Edward asked as I watched my sister's retreating figure. It wasn't really a question, actually. It was an observation.

I pulled away my gaze, turning to Edward. "Yeah, I guess you could say that," I shrugged it off.

"We've been through a lot, together," I went on while Edward pulled away from the curb.

"Everything that's happened these past few years has made us a lot stronger, has made our _bond_ stronger. No matter what, there was always someone who had gone through exactly the same. She's always been there. With me, for me, right beside me."

Yes, Maya and I were quite close. Our shared history had brought us so much closer. Besides, Maya was the coolest little sister on the planet. I felt comfortable in her presence, where I didn't have to pretend. I could just be.

"Siblings are a blessing," Edward remarked.

"Even if they can be annoying and embarrassing as hell. Maya has no mouth-filter, she can't shut up or take a hint sometimes…"

Edward snorted. "Have you met my sisters? Honor Rose is the _weirdest_ kid. Having twin sisters means they always side against me, not against each other. They annoy the fuck out of me 99 per cent of the time, but they are also the two most caring and sweetest persons I know. And boy, am I glad I'm not an only child."

Edward and his sisters were quite close, too. From the way they talked about each other, treated each other, I'd gathered they would do everything, anything for each other. He was extremely protective of them, especially of Honor Rose.

I didn't know if that was because she was the youngest, if only by three minutes, or because of something else. Something I couldn't quite put my finger on, but I suspected it wasn't something nice, as his eyes always held this sadness and crippling fear whenever he talked about her or looked at her, as if he was afraid he was going to loose her or was thinking back to a certain, dark memory.

It wasn't long before Edward drove onto our school's parking lot. Having put the car in park, he stayed put.

Seeing him like that, sitting in his car with one hand still on the wheel, in a light grey basic tee and black Ray Ban Wayfarers and dark jeans, I just had to take a photo of the sight.

"Sit still," I told him, bending down to get my camera from of my bag. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him turning to me. "Don't move."

He shook his head incredulously, probably at my sudden bossiness.

I took several shots, checking the display before putting my camera back in satisfaction.

While I had been busy putting away my gear, Edward had gotten out of the car and put on his jacket, and just as I put my hand on the handle of the car door, it opened.

I looked up in surprise to see Edward looking down at me with a smirk, holding onto the door. "My lady."

I ducked my head to hide the blush spreading over my face. "Shut up," I muttered as I stood up and brushed past him.

He soon fell into step with me as I put my blue Ray Ban Clubmasters back over my eyes after having shoved them into my hair to take photos of Edward.

A couple of people stared at us in wonder, which I found rather astonishing.

You would think with everyone being involved in the entertainment business, they would have gotten used to everything. Above all, they wouldn't jump to conclusions that fast.

Like jump to the conclusion Edward and I were dating just because the dude drove me to school.

_Uhm, yeah, supposedly, I had more confidence in my fellow-students than they deserved._

Whatever.

Entering the school, I suddenly remembered I'd yet to get a couple of books out of my locker that was on our way to our first period English class.

As I stopped in front of the locker that was mine, he continued on walking, giving my shoulder a squeeze as he got past me. "I'll save you seat," he said walking backwards, sporting that smirk of his.

I rolled my eyes at him and waved him off, but kept watching him until he turned the corner before going back to get the books I needed out of my locker.

"Hey Bella," a voice sounded next to me.

I looked up to see Angela Weber at her locker a couple oflockers to the right.

"Hey Angela," I smiled.

The first week of me attending the school, I'd spent my lunch breaks in the company of Angela and her friends, but since I'd met Edward, I'd started to spend them with him.

It wasn't like I'd suddenly dropped the other group. They saw I just really wanted to hang out with Edward and didn't want to hurt them. Although they were all very nice and I'd at least one class with each of them, I didn't consider them as my 'friends' friends. I liked to hang out with them occasionally, but that was that.

Angela, though, was an exception. She was in Edward's and my home room and we also had Biology together. We would often meet up in between classes, at our lockers or during PE.

We both weren't the most athletic people. She was on the volleyball team, so she nailed that sport, but for the rest…no, PE wasn't really our thing.

"I was thinking," I started, "maybe we could hang out sometime. There's this really cool exhibition at the LACMA that opened recently. We could go check it out maybe and go for drinks or something after." I pulled out the leaflet I'd saved for her from out of my bag and handed it to her.

She smiled as she inspected the piece of paper. "That would be great. It sounds really cool."

"What about next Friday after school?" I proposed.

"Perfect."

"Well, I guess I will see you…in English…in a minute." I giggled at how crazy it sounded.

"I guess," Angela laughed.

"What took you so long?" Edward asked me as I sat down next to him.

"I talked to Angela a bit. We're going to see this exhibition at the LACMA next week."

He pouted slightly, like he was disappointed I was going to do something with someone that wasn't him.

"Dude! Don't tell me you just pouted because you felt left out," I giggled.

"Me? No way," he feigned innocence.

I was about to retort, when Mrs. Wood called for our attention, rattling off the names of the students from her attendance register.

* * *

"_Oh my God_! This is _delicious_," I moaned after having taken a bite from my sandwich.

Dude, this…this right here…this sandwich…it was heavenly….it was unreal, surreal.

"This stuff just doesn't exist."

"It does in my world," Edward retorted, smirking.

"How did you discover this place?" I asked him in between bites.

The sandwich and juice bar Edward had brought me to after school, and where I was currently salivating on the delicious food, wasn't exactly on one of the main roads. If you didn't know where to go, you would never be able to find it.

"I was hanging out at a friend's who lives close by. We got hungry and decided to vent out. Voila, that's how we ended up here. It's one of her favorite to-go-to's as for sandwiches and fruit drinks and shit."

"Her?"

"Yeah, Cava. Cava Davidson, from school? She's in our home room and Biology."

"I know her."

"She's cool. I met her through Lola really. They've been best friends since ages, their mothers have a business together. Lola lives down my road. We've known each other since before I moved to London. Anyway, that's how I met her. Cava lives in Santa Monica."

"Lola Cross?" Lola was in our home room, too, as well as in our Biology class.

"The very same."

After the god-awesome late lunch, we drove up to Santa Monica Beach where we planted our asses in the sand.

I took out my camera and stood up, moving around Edward as I took several photos of him.

He would make a great subject for my photo assignment.

* * *

After some time, I looked at my watch and saw it was almost time for dinner, and time to get ready for my Dad's appearance on Leno.

With Yeasayer's _O.N.E._ blazing through the car speakers, the windows rolled down and the wind moving through my hair, Edward drove me back home.

I closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling of the wind whispering against my skin, and moved onto the beat of the song.

Edward turned up the volume until the music was completely swallowing us, surrounding us. We sung along to the lyrics at the top of her lungs.

It felt so good. Free. I felt free.

And then he parked at the curb in front of my house. The music died down, and we fell into a fit of laughter, still on a high from the music.

We said our goodbyes and I hurried inside.

I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings so I stumbled half into the staircase as I got in.

"Isabella?" Charlie looked at me weird, coming from the kitchen at the end of the corridor to which our high-ceiling and open-plan entry hall opened.

"Hi!"

_Was that me? I barely recognized my own voice! Wicked._

"Are you alright?"

"Mighty fine!"

He didn't look convinced, scrutinizing his eyes at me.

"What are we gonna do about dinner?"

Charlie shook his head, as if he'd decided to let my behavior pass for now. "Chicken casseroles. We were just about to dive in."

After dinner, I went upstairs for a little powernap. After today's events…the surprise of Edward picking me up for school, a quiz in Calculus, stupid badminton during PE, Edward taking me to the food place of paradise heaven and being elevated by music in the car, I felt exhausted.

I woke up to the sound of my phone buzzing, and taking a look at the screen, I saw it was time to get ready for Leno anyway.

The text was by Edward. _Hey, a little bird just told me your old man's on Leno tonight. Sure as hell gonna watch that. Will you be on the show, too? _

_Dude. Just so you know: A, Leno will be pre-taped, so his episode will be on TV on Friday. B, no. May and I have strict orders to stay back-stage and work on our homework. Gotta love the Dad, eh?_

I didn't wait for his reply and made my way into my walk-in closet to put some clean clothes on. Sitting on the beach for an hour hadn't done my summer dress good.

"Bell?" Maya's voice sounded from the corridor.

I walked out of my small walk-in closet to see my little sister standing in my door opening, a couple of clothing items in her hands.

"Yeah?"

"I know this might sound stupid, but could you help me pick out some clothes? Dad's got his Jay Leno appearance, so…you know, I'd wanted to give my outfit some more thought. I mean, I know the outfit I wore to school is just fine, but…"

"Mayie, it doesn't sound stupid. I completely understand," I said soothingly, walking over to her and taking her in a hug. "Whatcha got?"

"I was thinking about going with my three-quarter sleeved Acne shirt, the grey one with one purple and one yellow sleeve, you know, and a pair of skinnies?"

"Cool. That Acne tee is great. Shoes?"

"That's the big question."

"Alright, then, let me help you." I grabbed her hand and walked back to her room, not stopping until we stood in front of the shoe department of her walk-in closet.

"Flats? Sneakers? Boots?"

"Sneakers."

I held up a pair of simple Keds sneakers. "What about these? I think they would go great with your Acne tee."

Myself, I was wearing a leather jacket, tank, dark blue skinny jeans and my dark brown biker boots.

* * *

Leno was once again a lot of fun. Maya and I sat backstage, with strict orders of Charlie to only work on our homework.

Of course, we did anything but, having forgotten all about it as we watched our Dad.

Charlie mentioned us a couple of times, grumbling about how hard it was to raise two teenage daughters with very outspoken minds, but immediately going on to say how proud he was of us. He also spoke about some of our upcoming projects, and the camera cut to us for a few seconds so we put on our sweetest smiles.

The next day, with Charlie gone for the evening, Maya and I decided to have Greek for dinner and we set out to our nearest supermarket to do groceries. Having done so, we put on Angus & Julia Stone's new album Down The Way to serve as our soundtrack as we went about to make dinner.

After dinner, we got out our cruiser bicycles – _hey, we live in California, okay. Cruisers are the shit_ – and rode down to our favorite, local film theatre, to go see a movie starring an admired actor.

The moment he made his first appearance, we both couldn't suppress a squeal-cheer.

_Hey, don't look at us weird_. _Joseph Gordon-Levitt is…no words._

I'd narrowly missed out on a role opposite him in this fuckawesome film last year. That had been about the greatest disappointment of my career. Seriously not cool.

After the film, we went back home and snuggled up on our king-size living room couch and read from our favorite poetry books with Debussy playing over the sound system.

Some time later, we put Charlie's old Bee Gees records on and sang along at the top of our lungs to Tragedy, our favorite song.

After awhile, we got out of breath and returned to reading our books.

That's how our Dad found us later that night, asleep while nestled against each other under Maya's bed cover with books in our lap.

He softly shook us awake, and when we opened our eyes we were met by Charlie looking at us with amusement in his eyes.

* * *

On Thursday, we had a shortened day of school due to some teacher meeting or something, and I let Edward lead the way to his place as I followed him in my own truck.

Once at his house, we ignored the couple of papz lingering at the curb, hastily dodging inside.

"Hello darlings," Esme greeted us, having emerged from her office/study. She gave her son a kiss on the nose and me a hug. "Are you hungry? I made sandwiches."

I nodded in thanks. "That would be great, Esme."

"Good." She skidded through to the kitchen, turning on the beat-up CDplayer on her way to the fridge.

Van Morrison's voice started crooning through the room.

Edward's lips pulled up in a happy smile, and Esme moved her hand through his hair as she caught his look.

"Good ol' Van," Edward drawled in an accent I'd never heard him speaking in before.

He'd done a lot of accents for film roles over the years, but never the southern gentleman. His own voice contained a British accented undertone, probably due to the seven years he and his family had lived in England when he was younger.

"Van the Man is holy in this house," Esme told me. "No bad words about him. Edward would go ballistic. He once refused to be friends with this kid who didn't know who Van Morrison was."

I had to laugh at that. I could so imagine a young, stubborn Edward refusing to be friends any longer with a kid who didn't know who Van Morrison was. Van the Man was Edward's favorite, most respected musician.

Being that, meant something. Edward was very well educated in music and had many favorites. He listened to music constantly, wherever he was.

"Mum," Edward groaned.

"Just the truth, honey. So, how was school?"

"The usual," he sighed.

"Bad usual or boring usual?"

"Just the usual, Mum."

Esme pursed her lips at her son. "Alright, I'll leave you two to it, then. Your father will be home for dinner, and the man even promised to make dinner. If you need anything, I'll be in my office. Please don't disturb me, unless you're bleeding and must be brought to the hospital."

"Jeez, Mum, we got the message," Edward groaned once more, covering his face with his hands.

"Just wanted to be clear. Oh, and before I forget, do you mind walking the dogs?"

"Will do."

"Thank you, honey," she leaned over the kitchen island to give her son a kiss on his forehead.

After having done some homework, we took his dogs out and started wandering in the direction of the beach.

Although the dogs were still quite protective, Niké especially so, of Edward, they tolerated and listened to me.

We walked all the way to Santa Monica Beach, trying to dodge the bigger crowds while doing so, and before we knew it, we'd made a turn and come to a halt in front of the campus of one of Santa Monica's high schools, attended by both Christina and Honor Rose.

"You went here, too, right?" I asked Edward.

He nodded, moving to lean against a low concrete wall fencing off the track field. He seemed lost in thought.

Edward had mentioned having had attended this school. After living in England for seven years, it had been quite a change. Back in London, he'd already been in high school – secondary school he called it – for two years, before he'd to transfer to both a new school and school system, as well as that here in America, he would be a freshman, the youngest of the school.

A year later, he exchanged it for the Hollywood School.

Although Santa Monica belonged to a different school district than Venice, the Cullens had been able to get in, mainly due to the fact Esme's company was based here. She worked from home mostly, but hopped into her Santa Monica office – where her assistants worked and where she met up with clients – once in a while.

The Children of Hollywood School was an independent, private school not bound to any districts and open to all Los Angeles County residents.

I joined him against the wall, loosening my grip on Pandora's leash.

"You can let her loose. She won't walk away," Edward told me.

I leaned down to unclip the leash from her collar band. Truth to be told, she didn't bat an eye and stayed put.

According to my watch, it was close to the final bell and as I informed Edward, he nodded, asking me if I minded to wait on his sisters.

"Of course not."

"Thanks."

It didn't take long for the bell to sound and we both stood up, walking past the brick wall to the entrance of the school so his sisters would be able to see us.

Honor Rose was one of the first to exit the building, dressed in a pair of artsy leggings and OBEY tee, along with a plaid blouse and combat boots. A bright smile lit up her face as she spotted us, and she waved.

"Hi," she said once she'd arrived at our side, taking Edward in a hug.

"Hey, Hon," Edward greeted her back, his tone softening immediately now he was around her, and placed a kiss in her hair, an arm around her shoulders. He took her yellow backpack from her shoulder and slung it over his own.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Mum asked us to walk the dogs. We were close by and I thought 'Oh, why the hell not?' I'm acting upon my good brother behavior."

"That you are," she chuckled, letting go of him so she could take me in a hug. "Nice to see you again, Bella."

I smiled at her endearing shyness. "Same."

"So, where's Chris?" Edward asked Honor Rose, who was now crouched down next to the dogs.

"She'll be here shortly, I think."

Christina walked out not much later, flanked by a group of friends, but didn't spot us until one of her friends pointed us out.

The girls stared and gaped at Edward in shock, clearly affected by his presence…and me being with him, but remained composed.

Christina's head shot in our direction, and flashed us a wave before returning her attention to her friends to say her goodbyes.

Just as her younger sister had done some minutes ago, she took both of us in a hug before greeting their dogs.

Although Christina and Honor Rose were identical in nearly every aspect of their looks, their clothing styles were really quite different. Honor was the epitome of laid-back and comfy, if not with a unique and edgy twist, often opting for British brands and designers. Christina's style was a hodgepodge of bohemian, British prep, rock and classic romantic. Then again, they would often wear each other's clothes. Their styles couldn't be put in boxes.

"How do your friends deal with Edward Cullen being your brother?" I asked her as the four of us made our way back in the direction of the beach.

"They're used to it, by now. I mean, they all think him devilishly handsome and some of them have a serious crush on him, but he's just part of my life, you know? I can't help it. Just like my fame, my family's fame is part of my life. At school I'm not much different than the rest of the study body, though. I have to do my homework, hand in assignments, make presentations like everyone else."

On our way back to the Cullen house, we made a stop at Starbucks, the twins drooling over their Frappuccino's.

"Told you they were label whores," Edward whispered to me as we followed them out of the store, ignoring the whispering and clicking of cameras from the other customers.

"We heard that, Edward. Told you we had taste," Honor Rose shot back.

Edward shook his head at his sister, earning him a death glare.

"You're a Cullen now, too," Honor Rose said some later.

_What?!_ "Huh?"

Next to me, Edward choked on his drink.

"Your cup. It's got 'Cullen' written on it," she elaborated.

"Honor," Edward sighed.

"What? It's true."

Edward shook his head at her once again and fell back into step next to me.

"Fuck," he said as we walked into his street.

"What?"

"Papz, lots of them," he growled.

Sure enough, a bunch of paparazzi were practically camping out on the other side of the street opposite the Cullen house.

"Hon, Chris," he spoke lowly, pulling them behind him to shield them off as much as he was able to while we hastily made our way to their place. Niké and Pandora got restless and startled growling at the paparazzi, and the twins had to pull hard on their leashes to hold them in check. With ducked heads and our free hands shielding our faces, we made it back inside.

* * *

While we'd gone to walk the dogs, Carlisle Cullen had come home from his work.

I'd never met him before as he'd always been at work when I'd visited Edward's. His latest project had just entered post-production, so there was loads to be done.

When we entered the house, he was already busy working on dinner. After giving their father a quick hello-hug, the twins rushed upstairs to their rooms.

Having been surprised by Esme's short height compared to that of her children, I now saw of whom they'd got their height and posture.

Carlisle was quite tall. I would estimate him to be around an inch or two smaller than his son, and Edward was a whopping 6 ft 2.

"So, do I finally have the honor of meeting the one and only miss Isabella Swan?" Carlisle spoke in a thick British accent, looking up from the pan he was stirring in.

I blushed fiercely. "Urhm…," I went on to stammer, not knowing what to say to that.

"Dad, this is Bella. Bella, my Dad, Carlisle Cullen," Edward introduced us to each other.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Isabella. I've heard so much about you, all good things, from my wife and children of course…what a shame we only meet now," he greeted me, taking my hand in both his.

Esme sauntered into the kitchen, giving us all a warm smile as she poured lemon juice in two glasses and got two milk chocolate layered Oreo packages from out a drawer. She put it all on a plate.

"Edward, darling, could you take this up to your sisters?" she said, half-distracted as she made her way to Carlisle. "Hey baby," she said to her husband, standing up on her tippy-toes to give him a kiss before walking past him into the living room.

Edward sighed, but did what his mother had asked him to do. "Be prepared for a couple of squeals and running feet," he told me before moving to the stairs.

As Edward reached his sisters floor and declared he had a snack and drink for them, their squeals and running could be heard from the kitchen.

Emerging from the living room, Esme called up the stairs. "This is all you get, girls. Just one!"

"It's their coming-home-from school ritual. A glass of lemon juice with something sweet," Carlisle explained to me.

"Does Edward have one?"

"No, not really. Although, when he was younger, he would have a glass of milk and a chocolate chip cookie, as would the girls. They always wanted what he had. When we lived in England, they would have their tea after school."

Edward walked back into the kitchen. "I thought we could prep for the pop quiz we've got on Monday," he proposed, holding up his Lit books.

"Sure."

I followed him into the living room, joining him in the window seats looking out over the Cullen's garden.

Being engrossed into Lit, it seemed like only five minutes had passed when Carlisle called that dinner was ready.

I hadn't even noticed the twins had gotten downstairs and set the table practically next to me.

Over dinner, Carlisle spoke about the most recent developments on his project and what he'd done at work today, after his children had kept asking him about it.

Honor Rose was asked to tell about the presentation she'd done in Ancient Greek at school. She absolutely loathed presentations and was always very nervous beforehand.

It had gone fairly well. The topic had been of great interest to her, so she'd found it easier to casually talk about it.

After dinner, I excused myself to pay a visit to the bathroom. Having done my business, I took my time getting back downstairs, admiring the photos hanging on the wall in the landing.

"They're beautiful, aren't they?" I heard Esme say on the left of me.

I turned, seeing her exiting the room Edward had told me belonged to Honor Rose. She was carrying a laundry basket, and I could spot one of Edward's favorite plaid shirts on top of the pile.

"Yeah," I said softly.

"Christina took most of them. She's a great photographer. They all like to take photos, and Honor Rose really has got a brilliant view, she makes photos of things you didn't even _notice_, but Christina…she's going to be a photographer for a living," Esme told me, the tone of her voice one of pride and wonder.

"What's your favorite?"

"From this selection?"

I nodded.

Esme took a step back to get a better perspective. "This one," she pointed to a larger photo frame with a shot of her having her arms around Carlisle, resting her head on his chest as he had an arm around her, both of them wearing lazy smiles. It seemed to be taken in a hotel corridor.

"Christina took it when we were on a trip to Stockholm with the five of us. Beautiful, beautiful city. Have you ever been?"

"No."

"You should. This one's one of my favorites, too," she went on to say, motioning to another larger frame.

It was a set of photos featuring Edward and Honor Rose, in her Union Jack leggings, on a London underground platform, strikingfunny pose after funny pose.

"You should see them when they're in London. London is their happy place," Esme said as if thinking back of a certain memory, a happy smile on her face.

We both turned silent, looking at the pictures.

"Well, I'm off to put back all the laundry, return it to their rightful owners. My kids _hate_ not getting back their clean clothes on time. I would say, do your washing yourself, but boy, are they lazy. I let it pass, because they walk the dogs, clean their rooms, set the table and occasionally make dinner dutifully," Esme excused herself after some time.

"Honor fucking Rose Riley Cullen, that is _not_ a fucking word!" I heard Edward exclaim from out the living room as I came down the stairs.

"Yes, it is!"

"No, it is not!" Edward bellowed.

"You're just pissy-passy that I get so many points for it."

"Of course not. And pissy-passy, Hon? What the heck?"

"Just shut the fuck up."

"Says who."

"Jeez, guys, cut the childish crap, okay?" Christina interjected.

"What the fuck, Chris? Are you taking pictures?" her brother cried out.

"Yes, you got a problem with that?"

I walked into the living room to see the three of them playing a game of Scrabble, Carlisle having left to read his British newspaper outside in the garden.

They all looked up upon my entrance, the twins giving me a smile. Edward, though, urged me to come see for myself the word Honor Rose had just placed on the board.

"It's ridiculous. This word doesn't even exist," Edward whined.

"Yes it does!" Honor Rose argued.

I looked at the board, Edward pointed out the most recent word.

_Shizzle._

"Christina isn't much help, either. She's only taking photos."

Christina held up her hand in defence. "Hey, I'm impartial here. I'm Switzerland."

"Err…Honor, I don't think shizzle is a word," I said carefully, not wanting to offend her.

"See, I told you."

"But I use it all the time and everyone knows what I mean, so…"

"Jesus, Honor, how old are you again? Just because you use it, doesn't mean it exists."

"Of course it exists. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to use it."

"Gah, you fucking well know what I mean."

Esme came in with a platter of tea mugs and biscuits. "Sweethearts, sweethearts, how many times do I have to tell you? You guys are unable to play Scrabble without it turning into a big fight. Now, let's all calm down and have some tea with a biscuit."

"Mum, do I have to remind you you're from Portland, Oregon and not from England. Americans don't have tea with biscuits."

"Edward, do I have to remind you not to think in boxes all the times. Open-mind, honey, open-mind, that's what you have to have. I might be American and the sole person in this family without British citizenship, but that doesn't mean I can't like my tea and biscuits after dinner. Above all that, I lived in England for seven years."

"Alright, alright. You win, I surrender," Edward said, earning a chuckle from the twins.

* * *

After we all finished our tea, I glanced at my watch and saw it was hitting close to half past eight. Time to head home. It would take me at least another half hour to get home, so I really needed to get on my way.

I said my goodbyes and thanked them for lunch, dinner and tea. Edward followed me to the entryway, where I picked up my bag.

Just as I was about to open the front door of the Cullen house, Edward stopped me.

"What?"

"Outside. Paparazzi. Lots of them. It might be better if you walk straight to your car once you've left the house. So, if you want to say anything, like goodbye...or whatever…"

"Just shut up," I chuckled, taking him in a hug. "Thanks for today, Cullen. I had a mighty fine time."

"Same here."

"And thanks for the warning." I gave him a pointed look to tell him I really appreciated it.

"My pleasure. I'll see you tomorrow at school, then?"

"Hell yes. By the by, you know what's on TV tonight?"

"No. You know I don't watch that much TV."

"_Don't Insult My Country_," I grin.

His face changes from curiosity to absolute horror. "No fucking way. Please don't tell me you're going to watch that."

My Cheshire grin was still in place. "Why not? Everyone ate it up, still does."

"I don't care. I was fucking eleven at the time."

"More the reason to watch it. You did a stellar job."

"My character called himself Fender the Briton."

"Pretty cool, don't you think? You said you liked that film."

"Whatever," he grumbled.

I gave him a kiss on the cheek, whispering "See you tomorrow," in his ear, before I pulled open the door, marching to my car while keeping my head down and trying to tune out the army of swarming paparazzi waiting on the sidewalk.

Luckily, the papz didn't follow me around for much longer once they realized I was just heading home.

"Bella?" my father's voice came from his office as I was about to walk up the stairs to my room.

"Yeah, it's me, Dad. I'll be on my room if you need me."

"No, Bella. Could you come here for a minute?"

_Uh-oh._ He spoke in his Chief Burke voice. _Not good_.

I took the few steps down and walked to the main corridor, taking the first door to the left to Charlie's office.

My father was sitting behind his desk, looking at something on the screen of his computer. His brow was furrowed.

"What's up, Dad?" I asked.

"How would you like to explain this?" he said sturdily, turning the screen so I could see, too.

_**New couple alert? Edward Cullen and Bella Swan**_

_Hollywood's most-wanted bachelor is reportedly off the market, ladies!_

_As we've been reporting, heartthrob **Edward Cullen**, 19, has gotten awfully close to **Bella Swan**, 18, over the past few weeks, and it seems things are only heating up more._

_The two are said to have hit it off upon Bella's arrival to the Children of Hollywood School, which Edward has been attending for over four years now, three weeks ago and have been inseparable ever since, having been spotted together on numerous occasions._

_Earlier in the week, they both attended a TOMS party, arriving separately in the company of their younger sisters **Maya Swan,** and **Christina** and **Honor Rose** **Cullen**, all 15. The two hardly left each other's side and were quite affectionate with one another. The five also had dinner at an IN-N-OUT later in the evening._

_On Tuesday, Edward came to pick up Bella and Maya to drive them to school, and spent his afternoon with Bella as well._

_A few hours ago, the duo were seen walking the Cullen's dogs with Christina and Honor Rose, after the two had picked them up from school._

_A fellow Children of Hollywood School student remarked: "They're very comfortable around each other, touching all the time and sharing secret smiles. They can't keep their eyes off each other."_

Wow. They really were fast. They were already covering our dog walking from this early afternoon? Just whoa.

And that 'fellow Children of Hollywood School student' was probably some low-life that called herself a reporter _pretending_ to be a student. I mean, _c'mon_!

"Dad…," I started. "How did you…? I didn't know you read celebrity sites."

"I don't, but one of the guys sent it to me, concerned about you."

"Which one? Dad, your friends are a bunch of superstitious wacko's."

"Hey, don't try to change the subject here, Isabella Marie. I know you've gotten close with this Cullen kid, a kid I haven't even met properly yet."

"Dad, since when do you insist on meeting my friends formally?"

"You're saying Edward Cullen is just a friend of yours?"

"You're saying you believe the rumors above your own daughter?"

"No, I'm not! Of course I'm not. But you should see yourself, Bella. You're basically joined at the hip with this guy."

"Am not."

"Bells."

"What?"

"I want to meet that guy."

"Excuse me? Dad, what has gotten into you? It's not like he's my boyfriend."

"Not yet," I heard him mutter under his breath.

"Just tell me what your problem is, Dad. I've got homework to do."

"I just want to meet him, Bells. You've already been over at the Cullens a thousand times, but you never brought him here."

"I did."

"Not when I was at home, Isabella. Why can't I just meet him?"

"Jeez, because that would feel way too much like he's my boyfriend, which he is NOT. I can't help it that you're hardly here when I come home from school."

"That is not true, Isabella, and you know it. I just want to meet the boy myself."

"Well, I have his address here for you."

"Isabella, you know damn well what I meant."

"C'mon Dad, it's _Hollywood_ we're talking about here. They make up shit for a living. Just because I hang out with a boy doesn't mean I'm dating him."

"That's true, but not in this case."

"Why the fuck not? Since when do you know all about it?"

"Because I know my daughters, Isabella. You've changed. So much. Maybe not to yourself, but to me…I can see it. It's so clear. Maya sees it, too."

"Don't pull Maya into this, Dad."

"She talked to me about it, Bella! She was worried about you, and wanted to know if I'd noticed the change in you, too."

"That fucking..."

"Don't, Bella. Don't blame this on your sister."

Before I could reply, my phone buzzed in my hand.

It was a text from Honor Rose. _In case you haven't tired from our company, Edward's got a game in a few. We're all going to cheer him on. Fancy tagging along with us? You could drive by our house, perhaps?_

I'd already made up my mind before finishing reading the text. The homework could wait. The amount left for tomorrow wasn't that much. I could easily finish it off during homeroom.

"I'm heading out," I told Charlie. "I won't be too late."

"And where do you think you're going?"

"Edward's youngest sister invited me to come along to a game of his."

"Always him."

"Whatever."

"This conversation isn't over, missy!" was the last I heard before pulling the front door shut and hastening over to my car.

* * *

**Joseph Gordon-Levitt is…no words. I've got a major crush on that guy, and whenever I see a film of his, I'm always grinning like crazy. He's super talented, super cool, super funny, super adorable.**

**And although my little brother can be annoying as hell sometimes, I'm so, so glad I'm not an only child. **

**And lemon juice is the best. It reminds of me of the summer holidays I spent in France when I was younger. Having a lemon juice at a small bar in a small town. Good times. And milk chocolate layered Oreo's...my favourite.**


	8. Suck-fest Friday

**Hollywood Kids: Children of LA Land  
**chapter 8: Suck-fest Friday

**Took me an **_**awful**_** long time to finish, have been struggling with this beast for so long. I've finished the rough outline of chapter 9, and now I only need to fill in the rest. I know it's not going to be easy for me, but the biggest chunk of work is done.**

**I'm back home again, for good, and it's the greatest. Now, if only I can find a job real quick.**

**Beta'd by _With The What Now_. As always an enormous thank you! If it weren't for her, I would have cut off Emmett's POV later on in this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all things _Twilight_.**

* * *

**Time coverage: Friday**

* * *

**BPOV**

I fucking hated my Dad.

Fuck him for living in such a big house. Fuck him for not having hired a cleaner. Fuck him for…_aaargh_!

The guy had not been pleased when I got home late after the game. He'd been waiting up, sitting there in his armchair, a disapproving and disappointed frown in place as I walked into the living room to see why the light was still on.

_Hello to you too, Dad._

Okay, I got he wasn't all too pleased with me. The way I walked out on him, the stuff I said about him and May, it wasn't fair. I got that, as my father, he wanted to take some measures.

I'd expected him to ground me or whatever. Hell, even an old-fashioned 'you're not allowed to see that young man outside school hours anymore' wouldn't have surprised me.

No, the old man pulled out the big guns.

I, Isabella Marie Swan, his oldest daughter, was to clean the house for one month. One motherfucking month! _Fucking _hell!

Vacuum twice a week, mop once a week, dust off surfaces…

That with a five bedroom, two bathroom house, not having mentioned the downstairs area.

I mean, I loved my…our house. It was perfect for us, with enough room for guests if needed. Spacious. The three of us all had enough space of their own.

Yet, considering my father's pay bill, and the money May and I had been earning for the past years, we could have easily afforded much bigger.

We only had a living room, kitchen, two bathrooms, our own bedrooms, two guestrooms, an office for my Dad, a big hallway and that was it. Plus a big garden with a swimming pool.

Nothing compared to those massive mansions up on the hills.

But yeah, nonetheless, it was quite big.

Me and vacuuming weren't a good combination either. It irritated the fuck out of me. The machine never worked well enough, never seemed to vacuum up everything. And its noise drowned out all other sounds, meaning I couldn't distract myself with listening to music.

I was convinced cleaning was made to torment me.

So yeah, Friday morning wasn't a good one. It was like a major morning-after hangover.

It started just perfect already.

I overslept and had to rush getting through my routine. Not that you could call it much of a routine. Dress, double check my school bag, breakfast, freshen up, and on some days walk the dog. Friday was my dog-walking day. And I was already late.

Woohoo, prepare for another Daddy lecture. Take a seat right here, front row!

I waited until the last moment to leave my room, meaning I'd to rush through breakfast and didn't have much time for small talk, and would be unable to walk Pan.

Maya being all chipper because it was the last day of the week, the last day of school before the weekend, didn't really help either.

Normally, I shared in her excitement, but not now. Now it was downright annoying. She didn't deserve to be so excited when I felt like shit.

Yep, childish, selfish as fuck, but I couldn't help but feel like that. And, please, don't come banging on my door with that Zen crap.

Not to be disrespectful, not at all. I knew it worked for people, I knew people it worked for. It just wasn't for me. Sorry.

Exactly like I'd anticipated, there was no time left for the dog walking, and before my Dad or Maya could say something about it, I'd already made it out of the door.

But not before I'd passed our dog on the way out. _Sorry, Pan. I honest to God hadn't meant to let you down, girl._

To take my mind off things after having gotten in the car, I let my thoughts linger back to last night…

With Fleetwood Mac playing over the car stereo, the volume high up, I drove back down south to Venice.

As much as I loved my Dad, and my sister, they could be real annoying sometimes.

They were the only ones I really needed to be persistent, constant. Silently having my back. Not _talking _behind my back.

They were the only constants in my ever-changing life, had been for ever.

They couldn't change, shift.

If they did, I shifted, too. Threw me off balance. Hurt me.

I was aware it was a fucked-up way of thinking, that my Dad and sister didn't deserve it. I was aware. I knew. It had been a recurring topic during my weekly sessions with my therapist for years now.

I wiped away the tears.

I didn't want to ruin tonight.

It was Edward's night, Edward's game. I didn't want to take that away from him.

I did wonder, however, about the game. Why that late? Why didn't he tell me?

Honor Rose answered those questions for me as I joined her and her twin sister on the back seat of the Cullen's beat up Ford station wagon, me ending up on Edward's usual spot, behind the driver's seat. As Honor Rose so nicely pointed out for me.

She was really a one-of-a-kind person. The things she took notice of, thought about. Like the time she said I was a Cullen now, too, because of it written on my Starbucks cup.

"Oh, _that_. Yeah, it's a last minute substitute game. Coach called about the minute you left. Apparently, the only opportunity to play this particular game was now."

Christina piped in. "Ed was _not_ happy about that. He'd half an hour to get there."

"You have never seen him play, have you?" Esme asked from the passenger seat, turning around to us.

I shook my head. "No."

"Ooooh, I love this song!" Honor Rose exclaimed, starting to move wildly on the music.

I recognized it as Ain't Nobody, by Chaka Khan. It was a great song indeed, and it brought back memories of Maya and me going wild on the music.

"Duh, Honor, haven't you noticed? Mom put on your 2007 holiday soundtrack. Of course you love this song, you put together the tape yourself," Christina said dryly with a hint of a laugh.

"Where did you go on a holiday in 2007?"

"Ehm…," Christina started.

"Yosemite!" Honor Rose screamed at the top of her lungs, still in her Ain't Nobody bubble. "And Lake Tahoe!"

And before I knew it, she'd managed to dislodge her iPod from her jeans pocket, leaned over Christina and shoved the golden gadget in my face. All the while, she was still singing and moving along to the song.

It took me a moment to register what had just happened, but then I saw what was on the screen. Photos. Honor Rose was showing me photos from that trip.

The first one was one of the three of them, Edward and Christina and Honor Rose, splayed out on the backseat, all asleep leaning against each other and the windows amidst pillows and bed covers.

"We'd gone to Disneyland Park in Anaheim the day before, and crashed at uncle Kevin and aunt Denise's, Mom's youngest brother and his wife…so the next day we were absolutely exhausted."

There was also one of them on the bank of the Merced river down in the valley.

"Fucking cold. Fucking strong current. I nearly drowned myself swimming the wrong way." Honor Rose shivered at the memory.

"Language, Honor Rose," Carlisle said, not looking up from the road.

"Sorry, Dad."

Arriving onto the school's parking lot, it seemed we were not the only ones having come down on such a short notice. If I wouldn't have known differently, I would have thought it was a game night just as any.

As soon as we got out, Esme handed out a set of jerseys to her family.

"I don't know if you want to wear one, we always do. It annoys the hell out of Edward, but we know he secretly loves it. Don't feel obligated, but I got a spare shirt anyway." Esme said, offering me a jersey like the rest of them.

I couldn't help but let out a quiet gasp when I saw the back.

* * *

Somehow, I got through the first half of the day without snapping or lashing out at someone. I even managed to put on a brave face and hide my moodiness.

Edward, of course, _did_ notice. The observant motherfucker.

"You annoyed with me, or something?" he whispered under his breath during Mrs. Wood's lecture about Whitman during English first period.

How he did it, was beyond me. I'd greeted him with a warm 'Hi' accompanied by a just as warm smile. Or so I thought.

"No."

"You sure? Sure as hell seems like it."

"I'm not, Edward. Please, drop it."

"You do realize this is the first time you're annoyed with me, right?"

"I am not annoyed with you, Edward."

Luckily, the dude dropped it after that, but I knew he would come back to it later.

We didn't exchange many words after that. Before long, the bell rang and we each went our different ways, Edward to French, me to my photography class.

"Remember I told you about this event of mine?" a chipper voice beamed next to me as I was setting up my equipment.

The voice could only belong to one person.

Alice Brandon.

"Hey Alice," I greeted her.

"Hi," she said, still in full beaming mood. "So, you remember?"

"Yeah. What about it?"

"Well, after I had to call it off last week, it's finally happening tomorrow night. I've been so busy that I couldn't find the time to ask you, but do you have an outfit or date already?"

"No."

"Already thought so, but don't worry. I've got the _perfect_ outfit for you. I can show you, but it's at my studio. Do you have time tomorrow morning?"

"Sure."

"Good, good, good, I'll show you then. About the date…I know just the guy." A mischievous glint appeared in her eyes.

_Oh no._ "Who is…?"

"Guess."

_Of course._ "Is he attending this school?"

"Most definitely, yes."

"Is he in our year?"

"Yep," she said, popping at the p.

"Jeez, Alice, there are tons of guys in our year. How do you expect me to guess just the one you've in mind?"

"Bella, c'mon. Is it that hard? It's the guy you've got in mind, too. I mean, who's the first guy to pop in your mind to bring as a date? Honest."

Why was she doing this to me? "Alice…"

"Honestly, Bella."

I looked down at my hands, absently playing with my scrabble ring. I took a deep breath before answering. "Edward," I mumbled. "Edward Cullen."

"You see, I assumed that already, and since he's coming, too, and hasn't got a date yet, I said I knew just the girl to accompany him and…"

"What the fuck, Alice?!" I cut her off. "You set us up?"

"Gee, you're welcome. Bella, believe me, you two will have a great time. If you both would have come with someone else, you would fume for the rest of the day, being jealous as shit."

I looked away.

"Don't deny it, Bella. Don't deny what you feel for him."

"It's complicated."

"That doesn't have to mean it's impossible. Boy, that guy fucking _adores_ you, Bell. He cares for you so deeply. Before you came here, he was this broody, mysterious loner. Nearly every girl crushed on him, yes, but soon lost interest when they realized he didn't show any emotion. The only time he mingled with others was during his soccer practices and games. Then, you arrived and the two of you befriended…my, it looked like the happiness radiating off him could light up the entire city!"

"Sure, Alice. Get real."

"I am, Bella. You should make your own decisions and choices, but please…let me tell you this: Edward, he's the one for you."

"Alice, you're just a psycho."

"Guilty as hell, but am I wrong?"

I didn't want to answer that question.

"Alice…," I started. "I…I just have my life back on track. Slowly, my life is becoming _my_ life again, despite all the paparazzi shit and that. Yes, Edward, he's special to me, but I'm just not ready, yet."

She smiled at me, patting my hand before going back to setting up her own equipment.

I saw Edward again third period, but Pat, Pat Reginald, our Film teacher, paired us off in groups, and he and I ended up in different ones.

My eyes constantly wandered to the other side of the room, where Edward was in a heated discussion with Delilah White, a friend of his he'd met through Jasper as she lived next to the Whitlocks, Eric Yorkie and Dani Torres, who was on the soccer squad with Edward.

I bore my eyes into his back head, hoping with all my being he would feel my eyes on him and look up. Show me he noticed, noticed me.

I was being unfair again, I knew that.

My therapist was going to have a field day with me come Monday during my next therapy session.

Fourth period was another Edward-less period, and during lunch I had to work on a project for History. Luckily, I'd been paired with Angela, so it wasn't that bad, and we had a great working dynamic. I didn't really get to dwell on the swirling, heavy thoughts swimming around in my head. I didn't even think of them.

I left the library with a much lighter head and felt much like my 'old' self again as I made my way to Biology. I was really looking forward to see my favorite lab partner again. I'd sort of really missed him.

He was already seated at our table when I got there, listening to his iPod with his headphones on.

He had the music on really loud, and I didn't want to disturb him, so I pulled out a page from my notebook, scribbled down some words and shoved it down the table.

_Sorry for being shitty today. You were only trying to help. Thank you. _

He gave me a quick smile. "Don't worry about it, B. It's cool." He waved it off.

Huh? Not the reaction I'd anticipated. Now I sort of felt rejected.

What had happened since this morning?

Something then came to mind. After having left the library, I'd gone to the girls' bathroom on my way to class.

On the other side of the corridor, I would have sworn I'd seen Edward flanked by Emmett and Jasper, the latter two pushing him around while seemingly reminding him of something that embarrassed Edward.

The moment had passed in a hurry, and I'd thought I'd only imagined it since Edward had been on my mind a lot.

* * *

**EPOV – LUNCH**

"Yo, Cullen!" Emmett's voice boomed through the cafeteria the moment I walked in.

Nobody paid us attention anymore, having got used to the fact Edward Cullen, _the_ Edward Cullen, went to this school and had his lunch in the cafeteria. Everyone was used to the way Emmett McCarty greeted people.

Although, I _did_ notice some girls always took the same lunch as myself.

I gave my best friends a wave and fetched myself something to eat before making my way over to the table Emmett and Jasper were currently occupying.

For the past couple of weeks, I'd spent my lunch breaks with Bella, but as she had to work on a project, she was spending her lunch in the library today.

Mentioning Bella…I had hell no idea what was up with that girl.

Something had clearly not been sitting well with her this morning, but she simply brushed me off.

Then during third period Film, having been split up in different groups, Delilah, a girl I'd met through Jasper, who lived next to her, informed me Bella had been burning holes in the back of my head for the past twenty minutes.

When I looked around to check, however, she quickly turned around and didn't look again for the remainder of the class.

I wanted to talk about Bella with the boys, but I didn't feel quite ready, yet. Feelings had been swirling beneath the surface for a little while now, and I wasn't quite ready to admit them, yet. I didn't want to be questioned about my feelings for her, the depth of my feelings. Not now. Not by my best friends.

Instead, I pulled out a cheap one and did just that I didn't want them to ask me.

I asked Em about his lady of interest. Rosalie Hale.

She was the epitome of a super model. And not so surprisingly, she actually was one. Emmett had been fawning over her since more or less his first day at this school, when he'd accidentally bumped into her.

From then on, there didn't go a conversation by without having mentioned her. How he managed to turn every little thing to her, was beyond me.

The guy was beyond whipped. And completely in love, if you asked me.

"So, Emmett, tell me, how does it come you haven't hooked up with Rosalie Hale, yet?"

He choked out his burger, making quite the show. "What?!"

Jasper and I clasped double of laughter at his reaction.

"Yeah, Em, what's the story?" Jasper added.

He swallowed down the lump of burger with a big swig of his water. "Dude, I don't know what you're talking about, man. Look at her, she's not my type."

Liar, liar, pants on fire.

A. Emmett didn't really have a type when it came down to girls.

And B…"Really, McCarty? Why are you staring at her all the time, again? Why do you always find a way to bring back any topic to her, again?"

The big guy blushed, trying to pull the brim of his vintage baseball cap further over his eyes. "Guys, please, stop. Can you blame me? She's gorgeous. Who doesn't want to look at her?"

"Edward," Jasper answered.

Now it was _my_ time to choke on my burrito and stare at my friend in shock. "What?!"

Jasper was the one laughing, again. "Dude, with McCarty it's all 'Rose this, Rose that', but with you, it's all 'Bella this, Bella that'."

At this, Emmett's face regained its usual boyish look. "You forgot yourself, Mr. Whitlock. Aren't you all over Miss Alice Brandon? You're the whipped one who voluntary proposes to take his sisters to Ivory Velvet shops in order to gain her attention."

I clapped him on the shoulder. You could always count on Emmett to deliver the last shot.

"Fuck off, Emmett. We're getting off topic. What's the deal with you and Rosalie?"

Emmett sighed, giving in to our pestering. "Well, look at her, then look at me. You think she would want to date with a guy like me? I don't think so. She's way out of my league."

Having first met him, it came as a huge shock a little while later when I saw his self-deprecating side for the first time. It wasn't something I'd sought after him. Him, who was the epitome of laid-back, always joking, always laughing. I soon learned that was only a side of him and there was more. Darker stuff. Insecure stuff.

"You're a model, for Christ's sake. That's gotta say something. And the way out of her league thing, that's so not true, Em. She might pretend she is, but she really isn't."

"Mate, I think you should just ask her out for Alice's thing. Rosalie is coming anyway, so I've heard, so why not go together?" I joined in.

Emmett's eyes lit up at the idea, but quickly hooded again. "No, not happening. She probably already has a date."

"Em, don't be so hard on yourself. And guess what? Alice told me Rosalie hasn't got anybody, yet. A bunch of guys asked her, but she's declined them all," Jasper said.

"This is your chance, Emmett."

After a moment of being in deep thoughts, he came back to earth. "Alright," he started. "I'll do it, if you ask Bella and Alice."

* * *

**EmPOV**

It probably was no secret I had a crush on Rosalie Hale.

Even without knowing her, I felt some sort of connection with her. I remember I bumped into her as I came out of the locker room after a baseball game.

The moment she looked up into my eyes with her soft brown eyes, I was sold, done with.

She was the one.

I wanted to ask her out on a date, ask her to be my girlfriend, my fiancée, wife, mother of my children, but chicken shit that I was, didn't say a fucking thing.

_Alright, deep breaths, McCarty. You can do this. You can _fucking_ do this._

I walked around the corner to a new set of lockers. One of them was hers.

I didn't dare to look for her.

_Is she there? Is she at her locker? I hope she is. I hope she isn't._

I opened my eyes to see she _was _at her locker.

She looked gorgeous. Breathtakingly gorgeous, might I add.

Her blonde locks were pulled in some sort of nonchalant up-do thing, decorated with a thin headband. As for her outfit, she wore such jeans which hugged her never ending legs to the curve, which she'd matched off with a pair of Mary Jane killer heels, a basic tee and blazer.

"Hey, Rose," I called for her.

She turned around, boring her eyes straight into mine. "My name is _Rosalie_, not Rose."

"Well, Rose is a nickname for Rosalie, and I think it suits you."

"You are only allowed to call me Rose if I permit you."

"Do you permit, am I allowed to call you Rose?"

"It depends."

"On what?"

"On what you want from me."

Your love. "I…You know Alice Brandon, right?"

"Yeah."

"She has this launch party tomorrow, and she only allows you in if you bring a date. Let it be the case that I wanted to ask you as a date. I know you don't know me, and I don't know you, but you seem like a really cool person and I would love to spend some more time with you, and I've been meaning to ask you out for a long time already, and I thought this would be a good opportunity, and…"

"Yes."

"Eh, what?"

"Yes."

"Yes, what?"

"You are really so obnoxious," she laughed.

A real laugh. I'd made her laugh. Really laugh. Wow.

"I can be, yes. I can be other things, too."

"I said yes to your question."

"Uh, which one?"

She glared at me.

"Wait? You said yes to me asking you to be my date? Are you sure? Do you really want to spend a few hours with me? As my date? You're sure? You're absolutely, hundred per cent sure?"

"Yes, Emmett Christopher McCarty, I _am_ sure."

"How do you know my name?"

"I know more about than you might expect."

"Good things, I hope?"

"Yeah, mostly."

"I happen to know your full name, by the way. It's Rosalie Lillian Angel Morgan Hale. Quite a mouth full, don't you think?"

She laughed at me again and started to walk away.

"Hey, am I allowed to call you Rose now?"

"Yes, you are."

"And you will come to the launch with me?"

"Yes."

"Cool."

The moment she was out of sight, I texted my boys. _She said yes! I think I died and went to heaven. Guess I must have done something good in my life, eh?_

Edward texted back _Motherfuck! Ms Gabon was on the brick of sending me out because of your goddamn text, I laughed so fucking hard man! Seriously, you're such a child, Em. Luckily for you, she happens to love my movies, so I could sweettalk myself out of it._

* * *

**BPOV**

Near the end of class, I couldn't bear it any longer. The awkward silence. But before I was able to open my mouth, the bell rang and Edward stood up from his stool and walked out of the room before I could register what had happened.

We had a pop quiz in Lit, so again, I didn't have the opportunity to confront him. Luckily, the subject matter of the quiz was something I had a great interest in and knew quite a lot about, so I didn't have to think that hard to come up with most of the answers.

Otherwise, the thoughts swirling inside of me might have made it very difficult for me to think hard.

On my way to the gym building, I decided that I was going to confront him during PE. Cost what it may.

He was already there once I walked out of the girls' changing rooms. In his black Adidas shorts and white tee, still wearing his black beanie.

My heart clenched at the mere sight.

So many signs were pointing _that_ way. How other people considered us more than friends just from seeing us together, how he was always on my mind. How he was able to throw me off balance ever so quickly.

Like I told Alice, though, I wasn't ready, yet.

My determination wavered the moment I was about to draw his attention. _Why was I doing this again?_

Before I could scurry away and pretend I wasn't about to come and talk to him, he turned his head, his pools of emerald green settling in on me.

Fuck, he was so beautiful.

_Oh, yeah. Focus. Breathe. Think…eh, what?_

He nodded to the group he'd been standing with, letting them know he wouldn't be part of the conversation anymore, and turned his full body to me.

"Hey," he said softly.

"Hi." I tried to go for the same tone as him, but it came out more like a breathless whimper. Fuck, I was so pathetic.

I opened my mouth to say something. To apologize, to explain…

I didn't get the opportunity to do so, as I was completely, totally uttered speechless when I was suddenly enveloped in a pair of strong arms.

Edward's arms.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I'm really sorry for my cold behavior during Biology."

"'S okay. I don't blame you," I managed to let out.

Jeez, who knew hugging could be so damn awesome? I mean, I loved hugging. But normally, I didn't feel so very comfortable whilst doing so in public, in the middle of your high school's gym. You know.

Now, it was like Edward was literally and figuratively shielding me off from all the looks we most definitely were getting right now. Not that I could see them or anything. Because the dude was so tall, my face was literally hidden in between his chest and his arms.

"I guess I just…I thought we would always be open about everything. And then, when you held me at bay, I just felt hurt for a minute there."

"Edward, I already told you, 's not your fault. _I__'m_ sorry. I just wasn't in the best of moods, it's no excuse, but still. I'm really sorry."

"Miss Swan, Mr Cullen, may I inform today's PE activity is not hugging. If you would be so kind to stop the cuddling and pay attention to class, that would be much appreciated, thank you very much," our PE teacher, Miss King, called to our attention.

I kept my head down as we pulled away from each other, not wanting to be confronted with the looks from the other students.

From the corner of my eye, I could see the rest of our gang join us. Emmett and Jasper were grinning widely at Edward, who just rolled his eyes at his best friends. Alice came to stand next to me, bumping her arm against mine and giving me a small smile.

Edward draped an arm over my shoulder while we stood and listened to Coach explaining today's schedule and instructions.

We were going to play basketball today. Yeah! Please note sarcasm.

In the far away past, I once used to play basketball. Don't think too much of it, though. It was in early, early elementary school. I mean, I fucking loved basketball. I loved to play basketball. Only for fun, though. Not in PE, not at school. No way Jose.

My spirits were lifted immensely when I discovered I wasn't the only one really bad at it.

To my utter surprise, _Edward_ wasn't so good at it either. He couldn't throw a foul shot to save his life.

Forgetting my own basketball, I couldn't help but double over in laughter.

Which earned me a dead glare from Mr Cullen himself.

It didn't do anything for me. The dead glare, I could handle. The crooked grin, not so much.

"Swan, stop that shit right now. You know you're being an absolute hypocrite, right now, right? Have I ever laughed at you and your non-existent hand-eye coordination? No, didn't think so. If you would be so kind as to return that favor to me, it would be very much appreciated."

"Oh, c'mon. Let me have my fun. It's common knowledge I'm a spaz at PE, but _you_….soccer player with your athletic body…" That was all I could get out before another fit of laughter bubbled up my throat.

"I'm half English, you know. We don't play this shit back in England."

"Excuses, excuses."

"What? It's motherfuckin' true."

"Mister Cullen, Miss Swan, may I once again remind you we're playing _basketball_. This is not lunch break."

Understood, Miss K.

I sighed, not looking forward to getting back to basketball.

Edward noticed and chuckled maliciously. "Oh yeah, you burn, Swan."

"You burn with me, Cullen."

"Fuck off."

The rest of PE went by surprisingly well. After Edward and I had been in a bit of a sour mood for a while as we were constantly failing, we lighted up again when we ended up in the same team for the game at the end.

The rest of our team wasn't so happy with us being together. We didn't really contribute to the team's score, being complete spazzes and constantly laughing our asses off at our own disability.

PE over and done with, our little gang exited the gym building at the same time and we all walked to the parking lot together.

It didn't go unnoticed Rosalie Hale had joined us.

Edward, seeing my surprise at the sight of Rosalie "Supermodel" Hale among our group, pulled out his phone from his jeans pocket and typing in this and that, handed it over to me.

It was a text he'd received from Emmett earlier.

_My boys, she said yes! I think I died and went to heaven. Guess I must have done something good in my life, eh?_

Edward's reply read: _Motherfuck! Ms Gabon was on the brick of sending me out because of your goddamn text, I laughed so fucking hard man! Seriously, you're such a child, Em. Luckily for you, she happens to love my movies, so I could sweettalk myself out of it._

I smiled at Edward's long reply. He wasn't the one to use text language. Sometimes he would sent me whole essays as a reply.

"He asked her for Alice's launch thing tomorrow, and she said yes."

"Was that why you were laughing so hard in Lit just before we got the quiz?"

He nodded.

Turning my attention back to the rest of the group, I caught on the last sentence of what appeared to have been a monologue of Emmett's. "I swear, Miss K was one hair away from sending you off. Who the fuck gets sent off in PE these days?"

Alice joined in. "What was up with the two of you anyway?"

Edward, again with his arm around me, brushed it off. "Nothing, man."

Just for your information, he was also wearing his black Ray Ban Wayfarers again.

How could someone be so goddamn gorgeous? So devilishly handsome? Yeah, that was what he was. Edward was devilishly handsome incarnated.

I wouldn't be surprised he would come up when you would Google pictures of devilishly handsome. No, I wouldn't be surprised at all.

Emmett wasn't about to let it go. "Nothing, man? Since when is it customary to hug in the middle of the gym during PE?"

"Whatever, I'll see you guys later. I'm fucking starving, so I'm going to get something to eat before football practice. See you all tomorrow," Edward said, before turning to me to hug me goodbye.

"Catch you later, B." And off he sauntered, with that little swagger of his, denim jacket over one shoulder, bag over the other.

"Bye." In that breathless whimper voice again.

Emmett chuckled. "You have it so bad for him."

I ducked my head, hiding behind, beneath my hair and pulled up the collar of my sweatshirt so it covered my face up to my nose. "Shut up, Emmett."

"Leave her alone, Em," I heard Rosalie whisper to him.

"What?"

"You're making her uncomfortable."

"Uncomfortable? I don't even know that word, man."

Jasper shook his head incredulously. "Oh, Jesus, Em, just shut the fuck up."

Alice and I both had a talk with our study counselors after school, so we, too, said our goodbyes to the rest of the gang, walking to the study counselor wing together.

We also happened to finish our talks at the same time, and before we parted ways, Alice made sure I hadn't forgotten about tomorrow morning, when I would come over to try on my outfit for the launch party.

And that I needed to get me a date.

Or rather, _ask_ my date if he wanted to be my date.

* * *

**EPOV**

I was nearing the end of football practice when one of my team mates, also a defender,nudged my elbow. "That your girl?" he asked, motioning to the side of the field.

I followed his direction, my eyes going past the girls who I knew where girlfriends of team mates.

Until my eyes stopped at Bella.

Wait_…what?!_

_Bella _was here? At my football practice? Holy shit.

Since my return from Louisiana, there'd been three games, but she'd always been busy. Not that I'd ever explicitly invited her, but I'd always been very open about my games.

Then, she surprised the hell out of me by turning up at yesterday's substitute game, trailing behind my parents and sisters, her camera covering her eyes as she was taking pictures of…well, _me_.

If that wasn't big enough of a surprise, Bella's jersey matched my family's. A jersey with my name – _my name _– and number, 17, on the back. Well, it was my family's name, but still.

_Holy baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph!_

Now, when Bella noticed me looking, she smiled and waved.

Dazed, I waved back before returning my attention to practice. "No, no, she isn't. My girl," I elaborated.

"You sure? 'Cause it sure hell looks like it, man."

After practice was over, I rushed to the side, to Bella. Overjoyed, I impulsively threw my arms around her. "Hey."

"Yikes, Edward, I don't need to be covered in your sweaty stink," she cried out.

"Well, thank you. Hello to you, too."

She ducked her head, blushing. "Hi," she said, looking up from beneath her lashes.

_Sexy as hell._

I suppressed the thought immediately. Now was not the time. "What are you doing here?"

"I dunno really. I had a meeting with my study counsellor, and then I ran into Alice again, who reminded me of something."

"How did the meeting go?"

"Pretty well. I mean, I applied for UCLA, and the admissions won't go out till Friday, but she assured me I had a pretty great chance, which is awesome. We just established some stuff."

"Cool. I'm really glad you're sticking around, Swan. I don't know what I would've done if you would have gone away cross country."

Tears welled up in her eyes as I spoke.

"Thank you, Edward. It really means a lot to me to hear you say that. I'm glad we'll remain to live close by, too. I thought for sure you would move away to London." She genuinely smiled through her tears and hugged me.

Guess I didn't smell that bad. She just hugged me again. That must count for something, right?

I shrugged. "Nah. Not yet, at least."

I had considered it, moving to London after graduation, but I was happy where I was right now. My move to London would come another time, maybe, if not never. I didn't feel the need to live there to be able to revel in its awesomeness.

"What did Alice remind you off?" I asked her as I absently stroked my fingers softly through her hair. Knowing the pixie, it was probably something really whipped.

"That I should get me a date for her launch party tomorrow," she blurted out.

I gulped. _Uh oh._

Alice had been pestering me about it as well. And might have hinted asking Bella would be a really good idea.

Bella wasn't planning on asking someone else, was she? I scanned my brains for guys she hang out with frequently and might have showed an interest in. I came up with no-one, something I was extremely glad about. Well, except for Emmett and Jasper, but they were all hung up on Rosalie and Alice. I still didn't feel at ease, though.

And then, I remembered that, before I got back from Louisiana, she'd been hanging out with a group of people. Mike Newton among them. Mike Newton, who seemed quite taken by Bella himself.

_Fuck_.

_Please don't tell me she's gonna take Newton._

"And?" I squeaked out, scared to find out her answer.

"And what?" she looked at me confused.

"Who are you planning on asking?"

"Isn't that obvious?"

"Uh, no, not really."

"I'm here, am I not. At _your _soccer practice, talking to _you_."

"So?"

"Why would I do that?"

"Because you like to hang out with me?"

"Yeah."

"Swan, I still don't get it."

"Jesus, Cullen. I'm here because I want _you _to be my date to Alice's launch party. Clear enough?"

_Holy shit. Was she for real? Awesome. I love my life right now. Isabella _fucking_ Swan wants me to be her date to Alice's launch party._

_Oh yeah, take that _suckas_! Yes, I'm looking at you Mike Newton the fucking Third! _Burn_! She wants me. Me. Me. _MEEEEEEEEEEEEEE_!_

"Edward?" Bella's worried voice broke trough my inner happy party.

"Mhm?"

"Don't…don't you want to be my date?" she spoke in a small voice.

"What?! Why would you think that? Of course I want to, Bella."

* * *

**Seriously, I'm not out to dish Zen. My Mum does it and it works for her. It's just not for me. I just don't get it. I'm sorry.**

**Edward uses the term football instead of soccer, as he lived in England from his seventh till his fourteenth. He started playing when he was younger, but there it got really serious, y'know. He's half British-half American, and has lived in LA for a longer period of time than in London, but in most ways, he **_**feels**_** more British than American. Capiche?**

**I hope the changing POVs didn't confuse anybody. And I hope you liked it. I would love to hear your thoughts!**


	9. Ivory Velvet Echo Echo

**Hollywood Kids: Children of L.A. Land  
**chapter 9: Ivory Velvet Echo Echo

**A massive thank you to _With The What Now_, my Beta.**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all things _Twilight_.**

******I'm home alone and I'm going to watch _Hanna_ in a bit. Tomorrow, tomorrow, I'm going to sign a contract for my new job. Yes, I found a job! At last. Now let's make some money :). Enjoy reading this new chapter! **

* * *

**time coverage: Saturday**

* * *

**BPOV**

Just when you think you can finally relax and sleep in, when you think the storm's passed, life's peaceful again, when you think everything's gone back to normal.

Your doorbell rings. At seven-thirty in the a-fucking-m. On a Saturday.

I was rudely awoken from my much-needed sleep by the shrill sound of my phone alerting me I'd received an incoming message.

First thought: Fucking hell. Second thought, having read the message ID: Fucking Alice. Damn that pixie.

_Wake up, __bitch__. I'm almost at your house. You better be dressed. Don't hate me. I brought Starbucks._

Yeah. Karma's a bitch. Karma's a bitch, incarnated in the petite frame of the one and only Miss Alice Brandon. You gotta love that pixie.

While I was still awakening from my coma sleep, my Dad – the most chipper motherfucker in the morning, very much unlike my little sister and I – had already opened the door and the voice of our visitor floating up the stairs was a voice I recognized very well.

Hell, Alice really didn't waste any time.

By the time I actually made it downstairs, I found the two around the kitchen island.

"Ah, there you are. Ready to go?"

Okay, I take that back. _Alice _was the most chipper morning person around. She even put my Dad to shame.

I answered with a grumble.

"That's how you go out?"

I looked down at my attire. Figuring I was going to have to change at Alice's studio anyway, I had just opted for super comfy. Sweatpants, TOMS and a soft-as-shit OBEY tee. "What's wrong with this? I'm going to have to change anyway. Might as well make it as comfortable as possible for as long as possible. Besides, it's _Saturday_. Saturday _morning_. Early _morning_."

My eyes found the Starbucks, and like a predator hunting its prey, I half-jumped on top of the kitchen island and pulled it to me, not caring what kind of looks my action might attract. Don't come between my caffeine and me. I found my rug sack on the small table in the corner of the kitchen and followed Alice, who was already waiting for me in the hallway.

My Dad had the nerve to chuckle. "My Bell, so not the morning person."

Once seated in Alice's cramped canary yellow Porsche with every corner of free space filled with CD cases and fashion magazines and what not, Alice pushed down the accelerator and sped off, The White Stripes seeping through the car.

With every sip of caffeine and every second of Blue Orchid, I felt my mood brighten and by the time we arrived at Alice's studio, my morning mood had all but disappeared.

In the car, Alice had mostly been in her own bubble, making several phone calls, all the while with nerves eating away on her. That much was clear.

Ivory Velvet was immensely popular and so many people had their expectations and views and opinions. Alice just wanted to design clothes. And while she was at it, prove that she was more than Lindsey Brandon's daughter, and that Ivory Velvet had _nothing_ to do with either her mother or her mother's haute couture label Biloxi Brandon.

So, I just let Alice lead the way, give instructions and directions. I let her do her things on her way and her pace, so I wouldn't add more to the sky-rocketing nerves she already had.

And _of course_, Alice had been right when she'd said she knew just the outfit for me, the _perfect_ outfit.

Sometimes, while in a dress fitting, I was lucky enough to come across a certain dress or outfit or single piece of clothing, and one single look at it, was enough. Sold. Today was one of those days, one of those lucky days. I took one look at it, and _loved_ it. Having tried it on only made me fall more in love with the outfit. Not only did it _look_ good, it looked good on _me_. _I _felt good.

The outfit consisted of a pair of very stretchy and surprisingly very _comfortable_ black leather leggings and a high-neck, sleeveless button-up in tie-dye faded yellow-black-brown to go with a pair of oxford shoes, finished off with a black leather jacket. "It's….the outfit's amazing, Alice," I said as I looked at myself in the mirror, and liked what I saw. "Thank you so much."

She smiled, clearly both happy and pleased with my reaction. "My pleasure."

"C'me here." I motioned for her to come closer so I could lean over and give her a hug.

It meant so much to me, to see how well Alice knew me, my style. It showed she really paid attention to me, respected the boundaries of my comfort zone and wasn't adamant on putting me in a dress and heels cost what it may. She _saw_ me.

"Would you like me to stay with you till the party begins?"

Alice pulled back, her eyes shining. "You would do that?"

"Alice, of course."

She pulled me back in a hug. "Thank you, thank you."

Next up was hair and make-up, so for the time being, I'd to change back into my own clothes. I sat my ass down in one of the make-up chairs, with Alice being The Boss, telling the guys what and how and where when it came to my hair and face. They were conversing in make-up and hair talk, a language way, _way_ beyond me. I tuned them out and just sat back, closing my eyes and tapping my feet to the beat of the music playing over the music system tuned into 98-7 fm. 98-7, my favorite.

"Put her hair up like this. Not all the way. Halfway," Alice's voice sounded from somewhere far away. "You can leave her nails the way they are," she said to the guys and then squeezed my hand.

I opened my eyes and saw she had now turned to me, looking at my nails. "Where did you get that _awesome_ nail polish from?"

"Urban Outfitters. I did them yesterday, while I was Skyping with my Grams and Grandpa. I always do my nails when I'm on the computer, or else I get them all messed up. I get impatient too fast and fuck it all up."

"Where do they live?" she asked as she sat down in the chair next to me, a team rushing to her side immediately and starting on her make-up and hair.

The hair guy, Ken, I believed, told me to hold my head still.

"Just outside Seattle. What about yours?"

"My mother's parents are a pair of stuck-up, heartless plastics living the life in Manhattan. I don't see them. My dad's family…they're the warmest, funniest people, living all over the south. My Papa and Mami live in Texas."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I'm happy now. I don't need my mother's family in my life. They're poison."

"Still, I'm sorry."

She smiled at me, reaching over to give my hand a brief squeeze. "Thank you."

I zoned back out and before I knew it, I was awoken from my slumber by loud squealing right next to me.

"Oh my God, oh my God. She looks gorgeous! Thank you, guys. I love you!" Alice was bouncing, yeah _bouncing_, next to me, clapping her hands and hugging the guys who'd done my hair and make-up.

"No biggie, Tink. Just doing our jobs."

"A great job. I'll call you when the date for my runway show is confirmed. You can do the shoot next week at The London, right?"

"Of course, babe. Anything for our pixie."

"Oh, you guys. Come here." She hugged them again before turning to me. "Oh, Bella, you look gorgeous, girl. Have you seen yourself in the mirror, yet?"

I turned around and was met by…_whoa_. I looked sort of…beautiful? "Eh, yeah, thank you, guys. I…I really like it."

"No need to be modest, girl. You're fucking beautiful. We only tried to enhance that."

I blushed. "Thanks."

Having changed back into our outfits for the launch, Alice led me out to the room where it was all to happen, showing me around. If I hadn't known better, I wouldn't have known we were in Alice's studio/flagship store. It used to be an old warehouse, something that Alice had used in the design for the store. The walls weren't smooth and the pipes across the ceiling weren't hidden away. It gave the space an edgy character, in a very cool way.

The room looked absolutely beautiful, slightly dimmed with dozens of photos gracing the wall. Most were outfit shots of the new collection. Clothing racks were placed across the room. The Ivory Velvet logo had the most prominent spot, a huge blown-up black-and-white shot of two girls with their heads together, laughing, their eyes downcast, underneath.

Alice voice sounded behind me. "My little sister and I. C was killed nearly two years ago."

I knew this of course, but still, I couldn't suppress the shiver running through my body. My heart dropped to my stomach. Imagine if that had been Maya. Fuck. I didn't want to, couldn't think about it.

She led me away from the photo, showing me the rest.

On another wall, there were landscape shots; of Los Angeles, the Angeles Mountains, the beach, big city skylines. Then, there were detail photos I recognized. One, for instance was of three pairs of feet, clad in TOMS, Vans and Docs respectively. I would recognize those TOMS anywhere. They were mine. The Old Skool Vans were Jasper's and the Docs were Edward's.

The detail photos were of us. Of our shoes, my ring-covered hands with clipped-off nail polish, our flannel-covered backs, our legs in gym shorts and kicks, close-ups of our eyes shielded off by Ray Bans, us leaning against a car. Never did you see our full face or body. There were only close-ups. They were beautiful.

I didn't known that was what Alice had been taking photos of all the time. "When did you take those?"

"When didn't I? On the parking lot, during class, during lunch. You guys inspire me. Around you guys, I feel more accepted and respected than I've felt in years."

I gave her another hug. She deserved one. She deserved lots and lots of hugs.

Jasper, with his sisters in tow, was the first to arrive. _Literally_ the first. And was met by a squeal, squeak and charging run from Alice. "JAZZZZY! You're here!" She squealed delighted, jumping in his arms.

He chuckled. "Of course."

"Hi, Myla. Hi, Carson." She greeted his sisters standing next to their brother.

"Hey, Bella. Here already?" He seemed surprised at seeing me here already. "I thought you were gonna come with Cullen. I know _he_ thought so."

I leaned in to return the hug he was giving me. "Hi Jay. I had to be here to try on my outfit anyway. I thought, I might as well stay. Support the pixie, you know."

"Yeah. She needed that. Thanks, Bella."

Alice joined us again after having had a word with her assistant. "Remind me to hand out goodie bags to everyone before they leave. The name is on the bag. There's one for you two, too."

Carson's eyes lit up. "Oh, thank you. Can we take a look?"

Jasper threw her a glance. "Carson, don't be so impolite."

"No, no, don't worry about it. Of course you can."

"Thank you!" Carson and Myla stove off to the table with all the goodie bags, oohing and awing over the contents.

"Thanks, Al."

Alice smiled at him.

Soon, more people were starting to arrive, and the room was buzzing. I just hung back, skimming through the clothing racks and looking at all the artwork. I talked with Jasper for a bit, and asked him how his sound check had gone earlier today. If it had been up to him, he would have been here by the creaking of dawn, but as he had a gig with his band tonight, he needed to sound check in the early afternoon. We were all going out to support him later tonight.

I was really looking forward to see him play. Edward had told me he was one hell of a talented musician, being able to play almost any instrument. I'd once been lucky enough to catch them playing, even if it was only for a short moment. They were practicing for a performance they had to give in their Music class, and I just so happened to walk into them. It sounded beautifully raw. Edward didn't want to let me hear more of it, as it wasn't finished yet. I was still waiting to hear the rest of it.

"Hey, uh, Bella…"

I looked to the side to see Myla fidgeting next to me, playing with the straw of her retro lemonade. "Uhm, Edward's here." I must have looked at her weird, because she went on to explain, "Edward? Edward Cullen? Your date? He's here. I saw him arrive when I went to the bathroom."

I was filled with tingling warmth spreading through my entire body, being informed and now knowing he was close by. That I was going to see him real soon. I felt my lips turn up into a big smile. "Thanks, Myla."

I decided to wait for him next to the entrance, so he wouldn't be dateless _too_ long. The day had been so busy; it had completely passed my mind to let him know I would meet up with him here. The dude was probably thinking I'd stood him up.

The moment a crop of unruly bronze hair on top of a 6"2' frame stepped through the curtains separating the red carpet from the room, I stepped away from my hiding spot and tapped him on the shoulder. I needed only a split second to confirm it _was _him and then I already had my arms around his neck.

"Bella?"

"Mhm?"

"What are you doing here?"

"Supporting the pixie."

"I know that, but how? When?"

"I stayed for the day, here."

"Oh."

"You thought I'd stood you up, Cullen?"

"Well, uhm, yes?"

"Never. I would never."

We hung out with Jasper mostly, standing back while watching Alice do her thing, playing hostess and lighting up at all the great ravings and comments she got. We were just talking about how Emmett was once again oh-so-fashionably late – okay, he _was_ a professional model, I gave him that – when the dude made his entrance.

In a way only Emmett could. Cue-in booming voice. "Where's that pixie?"

Cue shaking heads and eye rolls from our side.

Upon spotting Alice, he rushed to her side and took her in one of his customary bear hugs. "Rosie, get your beautiful ass over here!"

Following Emmett's gaze, I saw her. Rosalie Hale. She was talking to someone near the entrance. I was surprised at her appearance. Every time I'd seen her, be it at school or randomly in town, she'd always looked quite put together. Now, she looked like she'd just stepped out of a punk rock music video, complete with bed hair, ripped and holed band tee, leggings, biker boots and a leather jacket.

My surprised look didn't go unnoticed. Alice, who'd joined us after having greeted Emmett and Rosalie, explained, "She wanted something different for a change."

A couple of hours in, Alice had sent me and my boys – Jasper and Edward, minus Emmett, who was once again missing in action, having ditched us, the fucker – on a mission to get more drinks and snacks from the storage room.

The sight that greeted us made us halt in our steps and walk into each other's backs; Emmett and Rosalie making out against the wall behind the dumpsters.

I instinctively coiled back behind Edward's back. "Holy shit," I shout-whispered.

Jasper looked slack-jawed. "They didn't waste any time."

We oh-so-quietly tiptoed to the storage room and got what we wanted. Safe and sound back inside, we collapsed of laughter and giggling.

"Oh my God!"

"Classy, very classy."

"What's going on here?" Alice came to check on what was taking us so long.

"Oh, nothing. Just that McCarty and Rosalie Hale are making out behind the dumpsters 's all."

"_What_?! How dare they! This is _my_ party. Now all everyone will be talking about are those two hitting it off."

Jasper, ever reassuring, said, "Al, everyone's loving the party. And if any, the two of them having hit it off, will only attract more attention to it. If anyone finds out, that is."

By the time Emmett and Rosalie got back to the party, one look from us was enough to tell them we knew. Emmett just flashed his dimple grin and shrugged his shoulders, making a beeline for the food and drinks. We didn't bring it up.

"Oh, I'm so happy that's done and over with!" Alice said after everyone had gone.

To celebrate, we went to eat out at Umami Burger on N. Cahuenga Blvd in Hollywood, before moving down the street to catch Jasper and his band play at The Hotel Café.

As we arrived at Umami Burger Urban, I pulled Edward along to the next store. "You get us a seat. Cullen and I are gonna crash Urban Outfitters first." One of my life rules: Do not ever pass an Urban Outfitters without at least entering it. Unless you're in a _hurry_, of course.

"Oh, c'mon, guys. I'm fucking starving!" Emmett wailed.

"Then you shouldn't have spent most of your time locking lips with Rosalie, McCarty. Go and sulk all you want. We'll be back shortly," I yelled at him. "And Cullen and I take the wall seats!"

Before he could make another retort, Edward and I had already made it inside the store. "Urban Outfitters, I motherfucking love this store, man."

Edward chuckled.

"What?"

"You."

"What about me?" I asked as I fingered through a rack of clothes.

"You're on fire."

"Eh, what?"

"Most of the time, you're not the most vocal person. Nothing wrong with that, that's just who you are. And hey, look at me. Brooding, quiet fucker here. It's just great to see you being so passionate."

"Thanks, I guess?"

"You can thank me, Swan. It was a compliment."

I had to give them credit. They _had_ saved Edward and I wall seats. We settled down at the tables nearest to the door. Edward and I looked at the menu, while the rest, who'd probably already decided what they were having, had gone back to talking about Alice's launch.

"Look at them, once again in their own little bubble," I heard Alice say softly.

"They're even sharing a menu. Dude, he's got his own right in front of his face," Emmett said, piping in.

"You wanna talk about the dumpster-wall scene, McCarty," Edward said without looking up from the menu. "No? Then drop it, please. Don't look into things when there's nothing to look into."

"What kind of whipped saying is that, man?" Jasper snorted.

"Dude, he's blood-related to Miss I-make-up-words-for-a-living Honor Rose Cullen," Emmett said.

"Hey, don't pull my sister into this. No bad words about her," Edward shot back, all the while still not looking up from the menu. He turned to me. "Have you decided what you want, yet?"

"Um, I think I'm gonna have the Cali Burger. You?" I'd had it a couple times before. It was a good ol' beef burger mixed together with lettuce, roasted tomato, house spread, caramelized onions and house American Cheese. One word: delicious.

"The Umami Burger."

That one was a good one, too. Parmesan crisp, mushrooms…mmm.

Having placed our orders, we talked about our previous Umami experiences. Umami was a relatively new concept, having opened its first restaurant only last year, but it was expanding quickly. We all had one relatively close to home now. It was the best.

After our main course, Jasper had to leave to do his final sound check with his band while we stayed for dessert.

At the Hotel Café, Jasper's parents and sisters joined us, with Edward immediately in deep conversation with his dad, Bobby Whitlock. The Cullens and the Whitlocks had been close friends for quite some years now, ever since Honor Rose had ended up with Jasper's Mom as her piano teacher after their move from London back to Los Angeles, and Carson and Christina getting into the same ballet class a year or so later.

Edward groaned. "Ah, man. You've got to be kidding me."

I looked up. "What?"

"The evil twins decided to show up. I didn't know they were coming. Figures, I guess. Anything, anytime to embarrass me."

I followed his gaze, and saw the twins near the entrance busy taking off their parkas, Esme and Carlisle following behind them. As soon as they'd spotted us, the girls rushed over, Edward taken in a sandwich hug. "Hi!"

"Mhm."

Christina rolled her eyes and went to join Carson, but Honor Rose stuck with us. "Oh, shut up, you grumpy head. If it wouldn't be for me, you wouldn't even have known Jasper all that well."

She had him there, he knew.

"Look, I got a new t-shirt today." Honor Rose pulled up her hair so we could see her shirt. "It's dark grey, v-neck, a union flag butterfly, and it's from Urban Outfitters. Cool, eh?"

"Very cool, very cool."

"Then you ask 'how was the rest of your day, my dearest Honor Rose?' "

"No, I don't. You just want to go off about your day without possibly coming off as self-centered."

"I would never!"

"Now, off with it."

"Mom and I walked the dogs, while C and Dad went to play tennis. Then we had a picnic lunch at the beach and Chris and I rode our skateboards. Afterwards we went to the movies with Cale and Bonnie, two girls who live on our street, and stopped by at Urban Outfitters."

Not once, amidst all her activities today, did Honor Rose mention her brother. My curiosity was piked. "So, if you weren't with them, where were _you_?"

"He was hanging out at…"

Edward shot her silencing look. "Honor Rose." She had the tendency to speak for her siblings. "I was hanging out at Lola's, playing videogames, doing a bit of jamming, giving my opinion on some pieces she's written and short films she's made."

_Lola._ The name pierced through my heart.

I didn't really know her, but from the brief encounters we'd had, she seemed really, really nice. Which made it only harder to hate her.

You didn't need eyes to get the close bond Lola and Edward had. They'd known each other for at least fifteen years. No matter what, I would never be able to catch up. I'd never seen them behave as anything but friendly, but something told me they'd once been more. It hurt like a motherfucker.

To top it off, miss Lola Cross herself walked in at that very moment, flanked by a guy who was without a doubt her brother, and her twin-separated-at-birth Cava Davidson. They came over and hugged the guys, since they all knew each other having met years ago through one another. Lola had come with Edward and Cava came with Lola. Also, Emmett and Cava lived close to each other, and their younger sisters went to the same school.

"Hi, Bella. I love your tee."

_Fuck. _Did she really need to be nice? "Uh, thanks. I love your Vans."

She beamed. "Thank you! This is my third oldest brother, Greg."

"Third?"

Edward piped in. "Lolo's got four brothers. Three older, one younger."

"Oh boy."

"Tell me about it. You've got a younger sister, right?"

"Just one, yeah. Maya."

While they all caught up, I went to sit back with Alice and Rosalie, who shot me a look of sympathy. I didn't want to know why, I didn't want to _think_ about the why.

"Hi."

I looked up to see where the voice came from. Myla Whitlock came to sit in between Alice and I, her eyes on me, sipping from what seemed to be apple juice.

"Hi. They serve apple juice here?"

"Mhm. The best. You wanna try?"

"That's really, very nice of you, but I'm still processing my dinner. I'm absolutely bloated." A ping alerted me I had a new message on Tumblr. Maya had put up a new photo, taken just minutes ago on the set of her latest project, of her and her on-screen sisters, all seeming to be asleep in a bed. _moi x lana x sally x mara a.k.a. the wight sisters. if only this could be real. #yourstreet #set_

"She looks like you," Myla said softly.

I looked up.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"No, no, it's cool. Don't worry about it."

"Oh, okay. Thank you."

"You look like your brother and sister a lot, too."

"I do?"

The curly honey blonde locks and the shape of their eyes? Even if I wouldn't have known they were related, it was pretty damn obvious. "Hell yeah."

"I think you're really cool. I love your style."

_Gawd_, Myla Whitlock was the most endearingly adorable person. "Thank you."

"Hey you. There you are."

Edward.

"Hey." I looked up briefly, before looking back down again. I scrolled through my phone looking at crazy photos Maya had taken. I needed some cheering up, I needed something to take my mind off, well, _him_. Him, and _her_.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah. Just a bit tired and full, 's all. When Jazz and his band come on, I'm sure I'll be okay."

I felt him crouch down to my level. From out of the corner of my eye, I saw Myla stand up and walk away. "Bella, please. Don't shut me out. I can see something is bothering you."

Just then, Echo Echo took the stage, not shy about easing in first. They started off with blasting music right away, drowning out all other sounds and making it impossible to continue any sort of conversation. Saved by the music.

"Excuse me," I said as I stood up, wanting to move past him on my way closer to the stage. As I brushed past him, I felt and heard him sigh. He gripped his hair in a sign I knew was from frustration before following me.

Next to me Alice bounced up and down. "They're so great. Aren't they fan-fucking-tastic, Bell?"

I laughed. "They are, Alice."

Then the synthesizer kicked in, and my body automatically followed its beat.

Echo Echo played a hodgepodge of genres. Their basic lay out consisted of blues and country, as three of the four members were originally from southern states; Jasper the Texan, Nate from Louisiana and Ti from Tennessee. Don was the only Cali native out of the four of them. There wasn't really a music genre they didn't play. And _god_, what they played was so damn catchy. I just had to move along to the music. The guys just swayed along a little, talking, but us girls, we went wild wild!

"Hey y'all, thanks for coming out tonight. We're Echo Echo from Echo Park, Los Angeles. It means a lot to us that we get to play here. Hotel Café; it can't get any better than that. So, if we disappear back in the void, we at least got to have this. Thank you. Thank you," Ti said after finishing their first song.

"And hi to all our Mamas and Dads and sisters and brothers and cousins and families and friends for coming out tonight. Thanks for supporting us, always. It means a humongous lot to us. We love y'all," Jasper added, his Southern drawl coming out strongly.

"Jazzy!" Alice yelled, throwing her arms high up in the air and waving like a mad man…mad woman.

He smiled his crooked smile, the one Alice could not stop gushing about, and tapped his hat in greeting. "Hey Al."

After they had finished their set, Lola and her posse made their move to leave. Something about having to leave early the next day for a day-trip to Palm Springs. "Say hi to the guys for us. Tell them they were amazing."

The rest of us waited around. The moment the guys walked in, Alice was the first one to rush their way, throwing her arms around Jasper before hugging the other guys. We stayed inside for a little longer, finishing our drinks.

By the time we made it outside, I suddenly realized something. Something crucial. "Oh shit."

Edward, having never been away from me for more than a couple of yards, heard me. "What?"

"I don't have a car. Alice picked me up this morning."

Not missing a beat, Edward immediately replied. "I'll drive you."

Jasper joined us. "Get real, Edward. You live across town from her."

Edward looked at his best friend with a murderous look, nearly growling out his response. "So?"

Ever the calm, unfazed guy, Jasper didn't flinch. "Dude. I live in Echo Park, which means I practically live next door to Bella. I'm driving with Don and some of our equipment, so there's a seat free in my parents' car. You can go with them, Bella."

"Okay. Thanks, Jay."

Edward's hurt look didn't go unnoticed.

I threw my arms around his neck in a goodbye hug. "You're my favorite driver."

"I am seriously considering moving to Silver Lake."

"Fuck off, Cullen. You can't have everything in life. Besides, if you lived so close by, we might get sick of each other."

"We already see each other almost every day. What difference would it make?"

"Bella, you okay to go now? My parents are getting ready to leave." Jasper's voice broke through our little bubble.

"Oh yeah, sorry. I'll just be a minute." I turned back to Edward. "It was great seeing you again, Cullen. Thank you for being my date."

"Thank _you_ for being my date, Swan."

" Pfft, no biggie."

After a beat of silence, he said, "I don't want you to go."

My heart sped up at the pained tone in his voice. "You'll miss me?"

"Yes."

"It's only two more days. Hell, less than forty-eight hours."

"Too long."

" Bella!" Jasper called.

"Coming."

The second I'd turned back to Edward to say my final goodbye, he had me enveloped in a hug, his face buried in my hair. "Bye."

Somehow, I managed to find my voice. "Bye. Drive safely."

"I will."

We simultaneously pulled back. I looked down, trying to hide my blush as best as I could. It might have been dark, but it still felt like my blush could be seen from outer space. Tattooed on my skin in glow-in-the-dark paint. I put back a lock that had escaped from my high-up ponytail and moved my head up so I could look him square in the eyes as I answered. "Good."

"Sweet dreams."

With you to dream about? Always. "You, too."

* * *

_**The Fab Five launch new Ivory Velvet collection and celebrate in Hollywood**_

_Fashion world's darling **Alice Brandon** launched the new collection of her brand **Ivory** **Velvet** at an invite-only party yesterday evening, and she didn't have to do it alone. Tons of fashion editors, reporters and befriended celebrity friends came out in support of the 19-year-old high school senior slash fashion designer, her Hollywood School friends among them._

_The Fab Five – as Brandon, Academy Award-winning actor_**_Ed__ward Cull_**_**en**, model **Emmett** **McCarty**, Golden Globe-winning actress **Bella Swan** and musician **Jasper Whitlock** have been dubbed – didn't arrive together, with Swan (in head-to-toe Ivory Velvet) already at the location with Brandon prior to the start of the event. Once inside, though, the group hardly left each others' side._

_Afterwards, the friends, joined by fellow-student slash model **Rosalie Hale**, went on to celebrate with dinner at Umami Burger Hollywood. Not before rumored love birds Bella and Edward had checked out next-door's Urban Outfitters while the others already took their seats at the relatively new joint. Jasper left dinner early to do a final sound check with his band **Echo Echo** before taking the stage at nearby The Hotel Café, with his school friends and family in the audience._

_Following Echo Echo's set, they were seen mingling and chatting on the sidewalk, before each going their own way._

_Alice later posted to her Twitter account _(_at_AliceBrandonIV) Thank you to everyone who turned up for the launch of the latest _at_IvoryVelvet collection! Thank you for all the amazing comments. x

_She also shared a photo of her tucked in between Bella and Rosalie while at the Hotel Cafe. _Celebrated the successful launch of a new _at_IvoryVelvet collection with some good burgers and some good music by _at_EchoEchotheband. And not to forget, with some pretty good friends. xA

_The new Ivory Velvet collection will be available in stores and online come Monday._

* * *

**The inspiration behind the outfit Bella wears to Alice's launch party is the outfit Kristen wore while on The Today Show with Charlize Theron in early 2012.**

**I hope you liked it. I hope you will let me know.**


	10. Sunday Funday

**Hollywood Kids: Children of L.A. Land  
**Chapter 10: Sunday Funday**  
**

**Phew, finally finished this little beast. Real life in combination with my lazy ass? *sigh***

**A thousand and then some thank yous to my beta _With The What Now_. That girl...is the best.**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight.**

* * *

**time coverage: Sunday**

* * *

"Je suis de-so-lée. Double e, acccent aigu," Maya's voice sounded from her room as I walked past it on my way to fetch myself a glass of orange juice. She always preferred to read her school assignments out loud. It helped her focus.

Charlie was sitting at the kitchen island, his reading glasses on, working on a cross word puzzle in the Los Angeles Times.

"Hey Dad," I greeted him, fetching a glass and opening the fridge to get the orange juice.

He looked up. "Hey Kiddo."

I joined him at the kitchen island, sipping from my orange juice and looked at the crossword puzzle. "Having any luck?"

He grumbled. "I need a social network, six letters."

"Tumblr." It was the first that came to mind. It also happened to be my personal favorite. Besides, Facebook and Twitter were too long anyway.

"What?"

My Dad really was from another generation. Although both Maya and I remembered what it was like to have no computer and no internet, we were still quite young when it became big. Charlie, however, had spent the majority of his life _without_ internet and all its tools and perks.

"Tumblr. May and I've both got it."

Charlie's brows furrowed, not in confusion, but in wariness this time. "I didn't know about that. What's it about? Is it safe? You are unlike other teenagers on the net, you do realize that, right? You do act upon it, don't you?"

"Dad, relax. Tumblr is totally cool. And yes, we know what we're doing. By the way, you've seen our pages. That's where Maya posts all her photos and edits."

His face cleared up, a little. "Oh, is _that_ the page she calls Silver Lake Swan?"

"Yep."

"Tumblr, I like. Not so sure about Facebook, though."

"Dad, we're not stupid. Zafrina drilled us about it. We're aware of the dos and don'ts."

Maya and I shared the same publicist, Zafrina McCall. It was very convenient to have one person dealing with both our public appearances, as with us being sisters a lot of our public appearances were together.

"Good, good, good."

"Alright, I'm gonna head back up and finish my homework. Can you Go over Biology with me tonight?"

"Sure. When you and your sister have finished your homework, we'll head down to Sunset Boulevard, 'kay?"

"Cool. Amoeba and Book Soup?"

I was ready to give him my best puppy eyes paired with a pout and sugar him with Daddy dearest, but no need. Dad knew us so well. "Of course. As if I can get away with driving you all the way to Sunset Boulevard and not let you go there."

Yeah, the old man and I were okay again.

As soon as I'd gotten home on Friday after parting ways with Edward on the school parking lot after his football…_soccer_ practice…jeez, that dude was seriously growing on me, the first thing I did, was assemble my family. Which didn't take that much of an effort as both my father and sister were in the kitchen working on dinner.

I apologized furiously and sincerely, trying to explain my reasons and my feelings as best as possible.

In turn, Charlie thanked me for stepping up and apologizing, shortening my cleaning duties to two weeks instead of a month. He didn't let me off the hook completely, as he believed I still had to live with the implications of my actions.

After dinner, I took Pan for a good long walk and went for a run myself, so I put on my running gear and on we went, my dog and I, for some good exercising. We went all around the Silver Lake Reservoir and I snapped a couple of photos with my iPhone of the setting sun and one of Pan in front of the basketball court intently following the game.

At one point during my stretching break I swore I saw a paparazzo taking photos of us, but when I did a double take, he was gone. That didn't mean my eyes had been wrong. For all I knew there would be pictures of me all sweaty and in running gear on the net come tonight. What a life.

Passing our local newsstand, I picked up the latest issue of my Dad's favorite magazine that had only hit stands that day, so I knew he didn't have it yet, and an _ELLE UK_ for Maya, as well as a sudoku puzzle book. She'd finished her last one two days prior. I made small talk with the owner with whom we'd grown friendly over the years before heading on my way again.

* * *

"Pan, you know what I'm gonna have in a minute? Oreo pancakes! Yeah, I know you like Oreos, too. Oreos are the best, aren't they, Pan? I will save some for you, 'mkay?"

Our homework was completed and done with and as promised, Charlie was taking us out for music and book shopping on Sunset Blvd including late-lunch and Santa Monica Pier fun later on. Fleetwood Mac were playing over the car stereo, the windows were half-down, a soft breeze was filling through.

I pushed my blue Clubmasters back up on my nose as I turned around to look at Maya, a smile forming on my lips as I watched my little sister sitting turned around facing the back so she could look at Pan.

Looking at his youngest daughter from the rear view mirror, Charlie did _not_ think it amusing. "Maya Dehlia, turn back around."

She turned around quickly, an innocent look spreading over her face. "I'm just talking to Pan, Daddy."

"I don't want you turned around."

"Okay, okay." She turned back to Pan one more time. "Oreo pancakes, Pan."

My Dad and I shared a look and I could see tears welling up in his eyes.

The depth of the bond Maya had with Pan was something we would never be able to grasp. At fifteen, she was wise beyond her years in so many ways, all that she'd been through having marked her. On the other hand she was so young still. When Mom died, a piece of Maya died, too. She would always remain a nine-year-old girl somewhere inside of her. With Pan, that side came out very strongly.

I leaned over the console and placed a hand on my Dad's. "You're doing a great job, Dad. You're doing so well."

Maya was oblivious, still talking a mile an hour to Pan, without turning around this time.

We all had a different bond with Pan.

For Dad, she was a company keeper. On the weekends, he would often take her out in the morning and head to a bench at the Reservoir to read his paper with Pan by his side.

For me, she was someone to hold onto. My best buddy.

For Maya, she was almost close to human and she talked to her a lot. Pan was her therapist of sorts. Pan had a profound effect on Maya. My sister had difficulties opening up about stuff sometimes. With Pan, she didn't hide. She told Pan everything. She could voice her insecurities, her thoughts. Get it off her chest

Charlie had gotten Pan to keep him company. It turned Pan not only served him well, but us two, too. Pan was family.

* * *

When we were seated, Maya took out her battered notebook and pulled back the strap so she could open it. She flipped through it in search for an empty page and wrote down the date, _Griddle Café 7916 Sunset Blvd. _and her order in big capital letters, _BLACK MAGIC – ALSO KNOWN AS OREO TOPPED PANCAKES_.

It was what she always did when we went out to eat. She would then post it on her Tumblr and talk about what she thought of the food and the like.

We'd been here before at the Griddle Café, a lot. Located right next to the Directors Guild, it might not look very promising from the outside, but Oh. My. God. Their food was made in heaven. No matter how big your plate, you just had to eat it all. You couldn't pass it up. I couldn't.

Maya and I dove into our pancakes while Charlie sipped from his beer and ate from his Wild, Wild East burger. He soon gave up trying to make conversation with us. If my sister and I received a combination of pancakes and Oreos, you wouldn't get a word in between until we'd finished the very last crumble.

Luckily for my Dad, a man sitting behind us happened to be from Washington State too and they soon ended up talking sports and sharing their opinions on the Mariners and the Seahawks.

Some time later, with Charlie still talking baseball with his fellow Washingtonian and Maya having gone to the restrooms, I was relaxing in my seat, my tummy filled, taking in the world around me and on the other side of the window in the front. People could say what they wanted about LA, but to me it was home and I loved it so damn much. There wasn't a place anywhere else in the world like Los Angeles.

Maya came back from the restrooms, going for the window instead of coming back to our table so she could say hi to Pan. "Panny! You doing okay?"

She walked outside and tried to be discreet about fishing the folded napkin out of her pocket feeding our dog with left over Oreo pancakes. Maya and discreet? Did not go together at all.

Seconds later she was standing in front of me. "You finished? Pan's getting lonely."

I chuckled. "You were just all over her."

She whined. "Yeah, but now I've left her again." Catching my perched eyebrows, she went on to say, "I'm being childish again, aren't I?"

"No," I said, fast to the rescue, "not childish, Maya."

"Childlike, then. I know, I'm weird. I attach myself weird."

"Maya, everyone has their own way of coping."

"I attached myself to Pan."

"There's nothing wrong with that. Look how much it has helped you, how much _she_'s helped you. Don't feel fucking sorry for something that makes you happy and stronger, okay? Be your own person. If that means being with Pan a lot, so be it."

The words were barely out of my mouth or I was pinned to the booth as Maya had thrown her arms around me and had somehow ended up in my lap. "I love you so much, Bell. Like, so much. Thank you for being my big sister. I'm sorry if I embarrass and annoy you sometimes, but you gotta know, I love you so fucking much. You're the best."

"I love you, too. I'm glad I've got you."

Charlie cleared his throat. Maya leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek before skipping out of the café with Charlie and me following behind at a slower pace.

* * *

Remember me telling Maya and being discreet did not go together at all? Even if taking photos didn't have to require an actual camera that made a clicking sound while taking a photo, Maya couldn't pull off using her iPhone to fragment stuff without being caught to save her life. Hence, I was well aware she had been stalking me back and forth through the music heaven on earth also known as Amoeba.

We'd passed it on our way to the Griddle which had led to Maya and I squealing at the sound of our lungs. Charlie grumbled, "Teenage daughters. What a blessing."

"May, why are you taking photos?"

Maya herself knew about her not being discreet. She wasn't surprised I called her out on taking photos. "'Cause I like to. We're in Amoeba. I'm feelin' great. I'd like to be able to look back at this moment."

"Girl, we're in Amoeba all the time."

"Still, it never gets old."

I had to agree with her on that. "Never."

The little sister kept following me around as one by one I filled my basket with new and old music I didn't have yet. A little while later, my vision was suddenly cut off by Maya's black iPhone.

"Here, I want to post this on Tumblr. Hope it's okay."

Captioned _the sister x amoeba x 4 #sundayfunday #sister #amoeba #music #foodforthesoul #sistertime _it was a set of four photos of…me, me thumbing through CDs and vinyl. One from behind, my pulled up hair revealing the Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures artwork printed on the back of my light blue blouse; one of my legs clad in deep yellow denim shorts and Docs; one frontal of me looking down at the records; one full body shot of me hugging my just-found Shiny Toy Guns first album We Are Pilots on vinyl close as I walked to another section of the store with my basket on an arm.

"It looks good."

And with that she hit post and walked away.

* * *

I was just looking through their newest releases when my phone buzzed and started playing Shiny Toy Guns' intoxicating cover of Depeche Mode's Stripped.

_Come with me__  
__Into the trees__  
__We'll lay on the grass__  
__And let the hours pass_

_Take my hand__  
__Come back to the land__  
__Lets get away__  
__Just for one day_

Edward.

Uh, yeah, I'd picked that as his ring tone because I really liked…_loved_ that song and he did, too and I didn't know…whenever I heard that song it made me think of him, so yeah, that's why I picked it out for his ring tone. I could only hope he didn't know that I had picked Stripped as ring tone for him. Maybe he did know. I knew his. Bella by Angus and Julia Stone. I had blushed when I found out. He simply said, "You're Bella."

I looked around to see if Maya or Charlie noticed, since they knew my ring tone for Edward. Thank God Charlie only knew the first two verses and had hell no idea what the song was called or who it was by and what the rest of the song sounded like. I pulled my phone from my jeans pocket and pressed the green button. "Hi," I said in a hushed tone not wanting to draw attention

"Hey." After a beat, "Why are you whispering Isabella Marie?"

"I'm at Amoeba."

"Amoeba, the holy sacred music heaven. I'm jealous."

"Yeah and, um, I'm with my Dad and Maya."

"So?"

"They're too nosy for their own good."

"I think I'm gonna come over, Swan. I need me some Amoeba fixin'."

"Not stopping you, but I think we're about to go. My Dad's paying for his purchases and Maya is making her way over to the till, too."

Maya being Maya called out for me. "Bell, you coming? I know you rather wanna talk to Edward all day, but I'm fucking starving. I need food in my belly. And I don't want to be late for the sunset at the beach."

I groaned. "Fuck."

"What?" His voice sounded in my ear.

"Maya."

With two little sisters of his own, he knew straight away what I was talking about. You gotta love little sisters embarrassing the hell out of you in public.

"Hi Edward!" Maya screamed so loud Edward no doubt could hear it when I'd made my way over to them.

"Jeez May, no need to scream all over the place. A normal hello would have sufficed."

She simply shrugged her shoulders and turned back to the employee at the till, paying for her purchases. Just like that, as if nothing had happened. Argh.

"Why are you calling me, Cullen? Missed me, my friend?"

"Shut up, Swan. I was just wondering if you'd like to come to this gig at a bar here in Venice?"

"What, now?"

"No, shit, of course not. Next Saturday."

Next Saturday. Lemme think. Press for my new film _Love You More_ started Tuesday, the premiere was Friday, but Saturday, Saturday I could do. "Sure."

"Jazz is coming, too. Alice has to work on her label or something and don't let me start on Em and Rosalie. Jeez, has it only been yesterday since they hooked up? They're behaving like love-sick fools."

I chuckled. "Edward, that's because they are."

"Em has been sprouting off tweets of love left and right ever since she said yes to his invitation. After yesterday, it only got worse."

Wait, what? Edward had Twitter? How did I not know this? "You're on Twitter? Really?"

"No, not me. The twins are, they have a shared account. They showed me."

"Let him enjoy it, you know. That's Em for you. Living life to the fullest. I can only have respect for that."

"Yeah."

"Bella! Time's running out! The sun's not waiting for you all day!"

I rolled my eyes at Maya before turning back to my phone conversation. "Gotta go."

"Alright. I will get you on the guest list for next Saturday and will give you the details tomorrow, 'kay?"

"Yeah, that's cool. See you tomorrow."

He let out a deep breath, like he couldn't wait till then. "Yeah."

After having paid for my own purchases, I joined Charlie and Maya, who'd been waiting for me at the entrance.

"One of these days…", Maya started, but I silenced her.

"Not now, May. Don't ruin it."

"What's there to ruin?"

_Everything_, I wanted to shout. _Everything_.

At times like those, I wished I could just spill it all out. Even if it would have been easy for me to do so, even if I was one of those people who showed their hearts on their sleeve, I still wouldn't have been able to make sense of it all myself. I myself didn't even know _what_ I was feeling, what it meant, what I wanted.

* * *

We ended the day out with dinner at Benito's Taco Shop before we watched the sunset on Santa Monica beach, my Dad with each an arm around us.

_the sister and moi stuffing our faces with de-la-licious taco's. oreo pancakes for lunch and now tacos! what a great sunday we're having! x #sundayfunday #sister #fooooood #sistertime_

_the Swanny's entranced by the sunset. taken by the Dad. #sundayfunday #sister #sunset #pantalaimon #santamonicabeach #sistertime _

"Hey, Daddy-o, could you take a photo of me and Bell? I want to hit the Arcade."

And with that, she threw her arm up onto my shoulder and one more photo was added to Maya's impressive Tumblr feed. _Sister& sunset is all I need. #sundayfunday #sistertime #sunset #sister_

Come evening, I was ready to hit the sack the moment I walked into my bedroom. Just as I was about to close my eyes, my phone buzzed with a text.

Unlocking the screen, I was met by Edward's words. _Rub it in, will ya, Swan. Amoeba and now all this. Know what I did this afternoon? _ Attached was the link to Maya's Tumblr #sundayfunday photos taken through out the afternoon and evening.

I chuckled as I typed. _Ah, poor poor you. Now please do tell me what exactly you did this afternoon?_

His response came quickly. _Your sarcasm is much appreciated, B. Parents very mysteriously 'disappeared' for the afternoon, leaving ME to console and help the twins with their chemistry project. We Cullens and chemistry are a match made in hell, doomed to go wrong and blow up in our faces quite literally. In true teenage fashion, they also left it up until the final day to actually get it done. _

I shook my head at Edward and his email-texts. _And, did it? Did it blow up?_

_No, but it was a very close call. Grr._

Did he just include 'gr' in his text message? That guy was one of a kind._ Go to sleep, Edward. _

_Is this you ditching me __kindly__?_

_No. Never. _

_Good._

_Now go to sleep, Edward._

_If you say so._

_Smart-ass._

_Says who._

_Good night, Edward. _My finger hovered over the 'x'. Should I? Could I? My phone buzzed again.

_Night B._

And the moment had passed. With a sigh, I removed my finger from the x, turned my phone off and ducked under my covers. By now, the first image I saw upon closing my eyes didn't come as a surprise anymore.

* * *

_**The Swans hit Sunset**_

_**Charlie Swan** and his daughters **Bella**, 18, and **Maya**, 15, spent their Sunday afternoon strolling around Sunset Blvd., having late-lunch at postmodern diner Griddle Café where the sisters each ordered Oreos topped pancakes before heading over to Amoeba Music and Book Soup._

_Having stocked up on books and music, their next stop was Benito's Taco Shop for dinner followed by sunset-watching at Santa Monica Beach, where after they hit the Pier for some fun on the rollercoaster and at the Arcade, with Maya putting up photos of the outing on her Tumblr _Silver Lake Swan_._

_The evening before, Bella attended the launch party of **Ivory Velvet**'s new collection and **Echo Echo**'s gig at the Hotel Café alongside rumored boyfriend **Edward Cullen** and their friends._


End file.
